Pizza Hut Introduces Snake Pizza in Hong Kong

American company Pizza Hut in Hong Kong has launched a novel and unconventional pizza that includes a distinctive ingredient – snake meat – bringing a modern twist to traditional flavors and local culinary customs.

The pizza, a collaborative creation between Pizza Hut and Ser Wong Fun, a long-established Hong Kong restaurant dating back to 1895, incorporates shredded snake meat, black mushrooms, and Chinese dried ham – crucial elements used in the traditional snake stew. This unexpected addition aims to create a buzz and captivate attention online.

Snake meat dishes, notably snake stew, have been a part of dining culture in Hong Kong and southern China, especially during colder seasons. Locals believe that consuming snake meat offers medicinal benefits, such as enhancing skin conditions and providing warmth to the body. Snakes are said to reach their peak of readiness for consumption “when the autumn wind begins to blow,” as they prepare for hibernation.

Pizza Hut Hong Kong described the snake meat, combined with cheese and diced chicken, as rich in flavor and introduced abalone sauce as an alternative to the conventional tomato base, highlighting the purported nutritional advantages such as boosting blood circulation, as per the beliefs of traditional Chinese medicine.

CNN sampled the snake pizza and likened the texture of the snake meat to dry chicken. The introduction of this unique topping has stirred mixed reactions among locals and food enthusiasts.

Some, like Hong Kong resident Mabel Sieh, expressed reservations, stating, “I think it’s scary. Snakes aren’t food in many cultures, especially in the West.” However, Rachel Wong, a Hong Kong native fond of snake soup, lauded the introduction, expressing that the texture resembles chicken and offers a fish and seafood-like taste, making it an appealing high-protein choice, especially during winter.

Karen Chan, Pizza Hut’s general manager for Hong Kong and Macao, highlighted the company’s collaboration with Ser Wong Fun to curate a distinct pizza flavour, combining various types of snake breeds to provide a unique and flavorful experience.

Not only content with the snake pizza, Pizza Hut also plans to introduce a pizza featuring Chinese preserved sausages, popular in claypot rice dishes among locals in Hong Kong, as the season cools down.

This innovative offering is in line with Pizza Hut’s Asian franchises’ trend to embrace adventurous gastronomy by featuring unconventional local ingredients. Pizza Hut in Taiwan has previously introduced pizzas incorporating durian, pig blood curds, and preserved eggs, reflecting the local culinary heritage. Additionally, Pizza Hut in Japan has unveiled a pizza topped with Tonkotsu ramen, highlighting their attempt to cater to local tastes.

Other fast-food chains have also joined the trend, with Domino’s offering a pizza in Taiwan topped with boba, the sweet tapioca balls synonymous with bubble tea. This reflects their efforts to infuse their menu items with locally loved ingredients.

[IMAGE – Hong Kong’s Pizza Hut is partnering up with a local century-old restaurant to introduce a new snake-soup pizza]