/蛇王協
開業歷史: 1976
業務: 飲食業
商品: 蛇膽、蛇羹、以食用蛇入膳的食品
地址: 深水埗鴨寮街170號地下
蛇王協的擺設與一般飯店無異，但位於店舖內的毒蛇百子櫃則令人毛骨悚然，只因為想像櫃內藏着多不同種類的蛇。不過蛇櫃都上了鎖，絶對安全。自1976年，第二代店東周小姐已開始在深水埗鴨寮街協助父親經營蛇王協。選址在深水埗就是因為看中深水埗多四邑人居住，他們喜歡吃野味的飲食習慣都吸引了不少蛇店在附近開業，周小姐說廿多年前店裡環有貓頭鷹之類的野味出售，但自從漁農處禁止後就才再沒有了。
蛇王協除了一般蛇羹外更會自己釀浸蛇膽酒，而鎮店之寶的陳年蛇膽酒己有超過十年以上的歷史了。周小姐說所有動物的膽都是苦的，亦不可亂吃，除了蛇的膽味道甘香亦是補身佳品。而蛇膽酒對一些久咳不止亦最為有效。
周小姐中學時期就開始跟隨師傅學習劏蛇，是現時香港少數的「女蛇王」，她亦不時協助政府捉蛇而變得在行內有名。周小姐回想起以前說賣蛇以如同賣藝，以前的蛇店都會在店舖門口表演劏蛇吸人客人，但後來因各種條例令這個傳統消失了。
/ Sheh Wong Hip
Timeline: Since 1976
Business Type: Catering
Product: Snake gallbladder, snake soup, cuisine with snake ingredients
Address: G/F, 170 Ap Liu Street, Sham Shui Po
The shop decoration of Sheh Wong Hip is not especially notable from the other shops. But when you have a look at the cabinet in the store and imagine there are different kinds of poisonous snakes hiding inside, you definitely would have a different feeling. Don’t worry! The cabinet is locked and safe! The 2nd generation owner, Miss Chow has been assisting his father at his snake shop in Ap Liu Street, Sham Shui Po since 1976. They started the business in Sham Shui Po because the area housed a lot of people from the four-county. Their craze for snake and wild game had attracted many snake shops to set up business in Sham Shui Po. Miss Chow remembers that twenty years ago, there were even owls among the exotic delicacies. But she has never seen them in market again after a ban issued by the Agriculture and Fisheries Department.
Apart from general snake soup and snake gallbladder in wine dishes, Sheh Wong Hip has one cherished specialty – the vintage snake gallbladder wine with more than 10 years of age. According to Miss Chow, gallbladder of most animals tastes bitter, not all are eatable. But gallbladder of snake tastes bittersweet. Snake gallbladder wine is very effective in curing chronic cough.
Miss Chow learned the skill for cutting snakes from her master when she was in secondary school. She is now one of the very few female “King of the Snakes” and has gained reputation in the community for helping the government catch snakes in the area occasionally. Miss Chow recalled her days when people said selling snakes was an art. In the past, the master would perform snake-cutting in front of the shop to attract customers. All these traditions have disappeared due to various regulations and in the passage of time.
蛇店內的放滿蛇的蛇櫃。
This box is the home for the snakes in the shop.
蛇王協自家釀製的蛇酒。
The homemade snake wine.
