New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-03-15
WHAT SHALL WE EATe

!
Although tho book Of books conjures us
to abstain from troubling our spirits con-
cerning what we shall eat, what we shall
drink, and wherewithalwe shall be clothed,
1t can not be denied that the infrmities Of
human natnre constrain the most Of man
kind to give no little thought to these sub
jects The expense Of living has SO enor-
mously increased within the past few years
that the most philosophical of US can hard
ly refrain from uneasiness at the contem-
platiOn Of the sum total of the bills of his
butcher and baker, nor refrain from a
grOan as he pays his tailor. To make food
cheaper is something ardently to be de-
sired; but it would seem that this can only
be accomplished by increasing the supply,
and by adding new substances to the list
of articles which may be used for susten-
ance. For several years past, in the face
Of very strong opposition and prejudice,
efforts have been made in Paris to induce
the people to accept hersefesh as an article
OF food, and they now appear to have been
crowned with very considerable degree
of success. There are in the French capital
twenty-three butchers shops, at which
nothing but horsehesh is sold; and il is sold
at a price much lower than that of beef.
To get the poor to eat new
thing, if it be salutary, cheap, and
nutritious, is desirable.
1t certainly would be great blessing if
the price of beef and pork in our own mar
kets was reduced One-half and it would
be quite as great blessing if our people
should find that horsefesh was quite equal
to beef or pork in taste and in nourishment,
and could be afforded at one half the price.
Now there happens to be this one peculiar
ity about horse, regarded in the light of
butchers meat-the older he gets the bet
ter he is. A horse may work for twenty
FIVE years, and wear himself out faithfully
in the service of his master, and then be
converted into excellent rOasts, steaks cut
lets, and soups. We have no means of as
certaining how many old horses die every
year in New Orleans, how many more are
killed by accident, or 90 badly hurt that
they are slain to put them cut of their
misery but be the number more or less,
it is clear that if the theory Of horseeaters
is correct there is SO much good and
wholesome food thrown away and given to
the turkey buzzards.
: A few days ago, al a noted hotel in Lon
don, grand banquet was given for the
purpose of introducing horsefesh to the
English public in a formal and solemn
way. One hundred and fifty gentlemen
we're present, and the dinner was gotten
up in the best style. Three horses, which
had been selected with care and which
had been 'fed up" one for FIVE weeks, one
for fortnight, and one only for two days,
furnished the dishes. One was very cid
white cart horse, over whose head twenty
two summers had passed one was four
year old cart horse and the third was a
celebrated steed, which had once sold for
$500, but which had outlived his fame as
racer With these Materials dishes of
horsehesh in every possible form were
served up to the guests, and they fell to
upon the novel viands with such appetite
and gusto as they could command.
First there was clear soup and thick
one, made Of horse shin and horse tail,
which were pronounced good, but not
equal to ordinary soups With the fish was
sauce, and very good one, in which
horse flesh in some way formed part.
Then came terreen of horse liver and
some horse sausages, cold, which were ex-
ceedingly well made, and presented the
horse in an admirable light. The fillet
and ioins followed, and stew, all passa-
bly, good. A turkey appeared, stuffed
with horse hash and garnished with horse
sausages and sauce. Then came the
tongues of the three deceased steeds, and
these tongues were rolled as sweet morsels
under the tongues Of the guests. This was
succeeded by the entry of gigantic roast,
composed of the loin and hnd-quarters of
the four year old. 1t was carried to the
table in solemn state on the shoulders
f of four men, and was preceded by gor-
3 geons herald, clad in scarlet and blowing a
I trumpet. This roast, when carved and
distributed to the $50 guests, who sat
with watering mouths anticipating the de-
: licions morsels, showed what horsehesh
really is. 1t was pronounced to be like
Deei-uoJ 50 huCCulenl, anu l9t quite SO
; palatable as the best beef-bat with a
| rather more gamey favor, and very tender
and digestible. There were few other
dishes-one called "boiled withers," which
was pronounced TO be very bad and horse
foot jelly, which was rather rank.
how very nastyw our readers, es-
pecially our lady readers, will probably
9 exclaim when they have read the above de-
5 scripion. But we can not see why horse
is any more nasty than a deer, sheep, or
an OK, and we are certain that he is a far
! more cleanly animal than hog. les
i prsltgsS sOnt des maladies de esprit hllnlain,
is true saying, and it is, perhaps, only
! prejudice and ignorance that cause us to
: revolt from equine and cling to porcine
| food. 1t is prejudice, however, that will
probably last our lifetime, and we have no
! very vivid hope of finding horse-cutlets or
name rOasts on the menu Of the ST. Charles
hotel in hurry.
The Chicago Post says: