Pizza Hut, known for its adventurous toppings, has stirred online debate with its latest creation for the winter season in Hong Kong – a snake soup pizza. This unique dish is a collaboration with the venerable snake soup restaurant Ser Wong Fun, a family-run establishment for four generations. While a preserved Chinese sausage pizza (lap cheong) was also released, it is the snake soup pizza that has captured the public’s attention, overshadowing the more traditional sausage offering.
Snake soup is a traditional dish from Guangdong, southern China, with a rich history spanning over 2,000 years. It’s a seasonal winter delicacy with a thick broth made from chicken and pork, featuring the flesh from multiple snake breeds. The soup includes wood ear fungus, bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, and is garnished with fried wonton skins, pale chrysanthemum petals, and julienned lime leaf. In traditional Chinese medicine, snake is considered a yang ingredient, believed to warm the body and shield against winter’s cold.
The snake soup pizza from Pizza Hut has been met with varied reactions. Presented by Ser Wong Fun’s Gigi Ng, the pizza appears less intimidating than its promotional hissing snake posters. Visually resembling a chicken and mushroom pizza, it features large chunks of these ingredients, diverging from the finely shredded texture of traditional snake soup.
The pizza base, devoid of tomato or cheese sauce, is uniquely made from boiled down snake soup. Efforts to achieve the right consistency were significant; a balance was needed to prevent the base from becoming too soggy or visually unappealing if too thick. The final product is somewhat spongy but maintains structural integrity, even after microwaving. The soup layer, thankfully, is not too gelatinous.
However, the pizza lacks sufficient chrysanthemum petals and lime leaf, and notably misses the crunchy fried wonton skins, a key element of traditional snake soup. The snake flavor is present in the base sauce, but the overall taste profile is muted compared to the actual snake soup, which offers a fuller flavor with contrasting textures and aromas.
Lisa Cam, a senior reporter, compared the pizza to a subdued rock concert, with fleeting and dumbed-down flavors. She suggested it as a PG version for those hesitant to try actual snake soup. The pizza leans more towards a cheese and mushroom pizza, providing a novelty experience for those without access to a snake soup restaurant.
Food blogger Peter Chang found the flavors reminiscent of actual snake soup, with the aroma of kaffir lime leaf being particularly notable. He recommended the thin crust version to mimic the crunchy texture of snake soup’s wonton skins. Instagrammer Wilson Lo appreciated the ingenuity but found the pizza more interesting than tasty, noting a distinct Canto taste with dried tangerine peels but missing some citrus flavors due to a lack of lime leaves.
In conclusion, Pizza Hut’s snake soup pizza is an innovative culinary experiment that blends traditional Chinese flavors with a Western fast-food staple. While it may not fully replicate the complex flavors and textures of traditional snake soup, it offers a unique and accessible way for people to experience a taste of this Chinese delicacy. The pizza stands as a testament to the evolving and adventurous nature of global cuisine, where traditional and modern flavors merge to create new culinary experiences.
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