China Stops Restaurants From Serving Envenomed Chicken

It may be tastier than fire ant salad, and safer to eat than staple cake, but the Chinese government has stopped restaurants in the southern province of Guangdong from serving chickens that have been bitten to death by poisonous snakes. The dish, which is supposed to have detoxifying properties, has caused an uproar with local media and bloggers. "Although nobody has been poisoned, this at the very least is an irregular way of slaughtering poultry," the Chongqing Business Daily quoted a local health official as saying.