Python hunter Bayo Hernandez prefers his snake ground up like hamburger meat with ketchup, mustard, and mayo. Another hunter fancies the slithering scourge of the Everglades in a stir fry or chili.

Want to make a Python user grind their teeth? Just recite three words: Python is slow. In many of the ways that matter, it’s true. “Pure” Python, without external libraries written in C, is nowhere ...