Chapter 923: Okinawa Habushu (沖縄ハブ酒)

You can find Habushu ハブ酒 (an awamori based liqueur named after the habu snake) easily when you’re in Naha, Kokusaidori. I made a post before about Habushu during my 2017 trip to Okinawa, chapter 101. This is my second time seeing them and it never fails to　amaze me. Like I have mentioned before, something like this isn’t unheard of in asian countries.

It is said that it is supposed to help boost male virility, the alcohol is strong because they had to deactivate the venom from the snake to ensure it is safe for consumption. Habu snakes are venomous and they are part of the pit viper family. They can be found mainly in south-east asian countries.

I have a colleague who has tried this before, and she told me it tastes like medicine and she didn’t enjoy it. If you look at the prices for the big glass bottles it can be very expensive, some were going for nearly 400,000 Yen!! They were selling smaller bottles inside the shop for less, but it’s still pricy, and there’s many many available, some come with the snake inside, some don’t.

—Tofu