The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1862-05-03
4 Curious Chapter on Food.

The diversity prevailing in different n
u tions in reference to articles oil food seen
9 to confirm in its literal .ehse the prove
! bal saying, "One mans meat is aRotht
{ mans poison" Many an article of fec
which is in high esteem in one country
: regarded in others with adherence, whic
, even famine can hardly surmount.
In the Shetland Islands it is said tha
crabs and Holsters abound, which tn
, people catch for the London market, bu
refuse to eat even when half starved.
The John Dory is reckoned by epicure
one Of the choicest Of fish; but the Devon
, shire, where it abounds, and also in Ire
land, 1t used to be thrown away as unii
for food. There seems to be some super
stition connected with this, as it is sal,
that DevonshIre cook fatty refused t,
dress it.
Eels-which are abundant and of excel
lent quality in Cumberland and West
moreland and also in Scotland-are re
garded by the people there with as mucl
disgust as snakes.
Skate, which is in high estimation il
England, IN Ireland is hardly ever eater
except by the fisherman.
Scallops, on the other hand, which are
reckoned a dainty in Ireland, are hardly
ever eaten in England; and although th ey
are abundant on many Of the coasts, few
OF the English have any idea that they
are eatable.
The cuttlefsh, (that kind which produ
ces the inky fluid) although found on our
coasts, is not eaten by U.s. But at Naples
! 1T is highly esteemed and travellers report
| that it lasts like veal
Cockchaffers are candied and served up
7 fho
The hedgehog no one thinks of eating in
England except by gypsies and some who
have Joined them, and who report that it
| IS better than rabbit.
The sailors in the English and Dutch
whaleships do not eat the flesh of the
whale; but those in the French whalers
with their well known art in cookery
are said to make palatable dish of it.
BY almost the entire lower classes in
England venison and game of every kind
are held in adherence and SO are fresh
figs.
By the Australian savages, frogs, snakes,
large moths and grubs. picked out from
the wood-all OF which the English set
tiers turn from with disgust-are esteem
ed as dainties; but they are shocked at
our eating oysters
Milk as an article of food (except for
sucking babies) is loathed by the South
Sea Islanders. Goats have been introdu
ced into several of these Islands !;
but the people deride the settlers with
using their milk, and ask them why they
do not milk their sows On the other
hand dogs and rats are favorite articles
Of food with them.
These last, as is well known, are often
eaten by the Chinese, who also eat salted
2 y ! l..
most Europeans Will turn from with dis
gust
In the narration Of Anson's voyage is n
full account Of prejudice of the South
Americans (both Creoles and Indians)
against turtle as poisonous. The prison
ers CAPTURED on the prize ships warned
the sailors against eating it, and for some
time lived on bad ship beef; but seeing
our men thrive on the tdrtle they began
to eat it-at first sparingly and at length
heartily. And when set ashore and liber-
ated, they declared they blessed the day
of their capture which had introduced TO
them plentiful supply wholesome and
delicious food
Horsehesh, which most Europeans
would refuse to eat except in great ex-
cept in great extremity is preferred by
the Tertars TO all others; and the flesh Of
wild ASS colt was greatly esteem by
the Romans
As for pork, it is on religious grounds
that Jews II Mahommedans abstain from
1t, Is the Hindoos do from beef But the
Christians of the East seem to have near
ly an equal aversion TO it: and the like
prevailed till lately in Scotland
The large she'll snail, named escargot.
was favorite dainty with the ancient
Romans. and still is so in a great part of
the south of Europe, though most Eng
lishmen would be half starved before they
would eat it.
In Vienna the large wood ants are served
up and eaten alive
The isauana, large species of lizard. is
reckoned great dainty in some of the
West India islands
The monkey and alligator are eaten
both in Africa and South America and
some travellers who have overcome their
preludices pronounce them to be very
good eating. large crocadle or alliga-
tor IS SAID to have a strong, musky flavor,
but young one tastes much like skate
Even when the same substances are
eaten IN different countries, there is often
g strange difference in the mode of pre-
pairing them. Both we and the islanders
use butter but they store it up without
salt til! it is rancid and sour.
We agree with the Abissinians in liking
beef. but they would probably object as
much to the roast beef Of Old England as
we should to the halfliving morsals of
raw beef in which they delight,
Maize (the Indian corn of America) has
been introduced INTO New Zealand by the
missionaries, and the people cultivate aud
highly esteem it. But their mode of pre-.
pairing it for fool is to Europeans most
disgusting. They steep it in water till it
is putrid, and then make it into a kind of
porridge which emits a most intolerable
stanch.