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How to Make Chinese Snake Oil by Cooking Procedures

The Chinese have used snake oil from water snakes (Enhydris chinesis) for centuries. The water snakes have a high level of omega-3 fatty acids, as they are cold-blooded and live in cooler environments. Chinese water snakes contain 20 percent eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), one of the two omega-3 fatty acid types readily used by our bodies. The necessity of omega-3 fatty acids for proper healthy human functioning was recognized in the 1980s. The Chinese used snake oil to treat joint pain such as arthritis and bursitis. Snake oil obtained from rattlesnakes was used by Native Americans for the same purposes, although rattlesnakes contain only 8.5 percent EPA. While challenging, it is possible to make Chinese snake oil at home.

Things You'll Need

Chinese water snakes (Enhydris chinesis species)
Knife
Oven
Oven-safe pot with lid
Amber apothecary bottle

Instructions

- 1
  Kill the snakes humanely by cutting off their heads. Chinese water snakes are venomous, although it is a mild venom. Handle the snakes with care so you don't get bit.
- 2
  Gut the snakes. Cut them open from the anal vent (found on the belly side of the snake, a bit above the tail) to the neck. Gently remove the organs, which are long and slender. In the area of the small intestines, you'll see yellowish or whitish fat bodies, which is what fat deposits in snakes are called.
- 3
  Skin the snake. Scrape the skin to remove the subcutaneous fat. Save both the subcutaneous fat and the fat deposits from the cavity of the snake.
- 4
  Place the subcutaneous fat and fat deposits from all the snakes in an oven-proof pot and add enough water to partially cover the fat. Heat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit and put the lid on the pot and the pot in the oven. Leave it for 40 minutes or until the fat has melted. Stir the fat occasionally to prevent burning. When the fat has melted, remove the pot from the oven and let it cool.
- 5
  Place the pot with the fat in the refrigerator and let it get cold. When it is cold, the fat will solidify. Remove it from the water in the pot (if there's any left) and leave it at room temperature. When the fat has turned liquid again, pour it into the amber bottle.

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