Snakes are venomous, deadly and feared — in Nigeria, 20,000 people fall victim to snake bites every year. But in Lagos, Nigeria, you can safely bite back. Ready to try some snake meat?
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00:00Poisonous, deadly, scary. Snakes. Nigeria's Ministry of Health records around 20,000 snake bites a year, 2,000 of them fatal.
00:11Even here in Lagos, you can get bitten by a snake. But there's another side to the story. Some people here enjoy eating snake meat.
00:19I like eating snake meat always because if they prepare the snake meat, the meat is so soft and very, very okay in body.
00:29Let's find out what makes the foodies seek out the restaurant of Baba Ijo, aka the Snake Man. How does he make these dangerous animals part of the Nigerian menu?
00:41There's no danger in eating snake meat, but there are some people in Badagry who won't eat it. To them, it's a taboo because they worship snakes, but most people eat them.
00:59Snake meat has no side effects. It's white meat, and it's very good.
01:09In Nigeria, snakes are mostly killed on sight. So how did Baba Ijo change the narrative? But before we find out his secret in turning snake meat into a sought-after delicacy, we have a look at the Badagry Snake Market, where you can get the reptiles in all shapes and sizes.
01:28The snakes that are common in this market have inner legs. Some species' legs are visible from outside. So we know the species of snake through their heads and skin.
01:48Back at the restaurant, it's time to prepare the snake. Snake meat is barbecued or cooked in a soup. Baba Ijo, who's been cooking with snake meat for over 10 years, knows how to make it tasty. So what is his secret recipe?
02:07We're cooking the snake meat pepper soup. Once the snake meat is on the fire, we add onions, vegetables, seasoning and sauce.
02:15In restaurants like Baba Ijo's, Nigerians try out snake meat. But it's still not as common as in the USA, where rattlesnake is widely accepted as exotic game meat. In Asia, snake is also popular, mainly because of its alleged health benefits.
02:33Snake meat is very high in protein, and it contains essential nutrients that would help in maintaining a healthy immune system. Snake meat also contains collagen, very high in collagen that helps in maintaining proper bone and joints in the body.
02:54Snake meat is very safe to consume. Once the head is severed, that is cut off, because that is where the poison gland or the poisonous sac is located. So once the head is severed off, it is safe for consumption. And it just takes the normal routine process of washing, cleaning and thorough cooking to eliminate any dirt and germs. Then it's safe.
03:20Chef Baba Ijo will not stop trying to convince Nigerians to include snake meat as part of their diet. Whether his efforts will change the mixed perception of snakes among Africans is another question.