The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-09-29
The "nIysteries ofParis."
HORRIBLE REyE1ArIoNs-THE SECRETS OF THE
FRENCH KITCHENS UNVEILED.

The Paris correspondent Of the London Star
writes as follows:
Among the curiosities of Paris life decidedly
are he small carts which, from five to six
every morning, call at the back gates Of embas-
sizes, palaces, ministercs, restaurants, hotels
and great houses in general to purchase the
remains of the entremets, desserts and din
ners in general, left, not by the upper ten
thousand only, but likewise ~ their servants,
the emssaries Of q race OF costermongers
called ''arlequins," whose stalls at the 'Halles"
are furnished forth by these "baked meats"
which made their debut at the tables Of those
who rule our destinies. The carts are closed
in, and recognizable by the sort Of chimneys in
the top to admit Of free circulation Of air; the
remains are thrown peIe-n,ele into the carts,
aspect presented by this oId-podrsda when it
reaches the harlequin" stall. Tine hrst process
is the ty,dqe, or sorting-a work OF no small
difficulty when portions Of lobster Ia Mayor.
naise besmeared with soup Ia Jnllienne have
to be extracted from the remains of fruit tart
in which they are imbedded. The most present
able morsels are pared, cleaned (2), and ar
ranged on q dish, this process taking place in
some remote corner far from human ken, as
naturally it's mysteries would not attract Gus
toners. Strange to soy, By twelve O'Clock these
scraps Of rlch mems plates are eagerly bought
up by O certain class Of poor who prefer the
savory favor to more wholesome food. What
cannot be sufficiently pared and arranged for
human appetite, is sold for the food of pet
house dogs, italian grayhounds, and such like
aristocratlc quadrupeds. The bones, however,
found in this detritus are carefully put aside,
and sold to the manufacturers OF concentrated
meat essence lozenges, an by them, after they
have boiled them down. sold to the makers of
animal black, much in demand by house paint
era, &c. But to return to our friends the ''ar-
lequins." This trade of buying up the remains
of our frien is side dishes and second courses
is by no means bad one-many OF those who
pursue it retire at the end OF few years on
four or five hundred year. Pas mai! The
next branch OF this trade is the bakers en- UieuJ,
which rAminds one OF the sign which attracts
many true lover Of antiquities, "Moribond de
Meubles Ed Vieux." Ancient furniture, even
though stained by age and rust, we oil appre:-
ciate; but ancient Bread stained by ink and
mould, we scarcely relish. Yet it ID remu-
nerative trade to collect the crusts thrown
away by college boys or dropped by these care
less Youngsters in their Fairgrounds, trampled
on and linked oftentimes, but gathered by chit-
foniers and sold to these secondhand bakers,
and by them sorted. The cleaDest OF these
soiled aud uninvlting crusts are dried IN oil
oven, ragped, and then sold for tho ''cronte au
pot" with which soup all familiar with French
cuisines are well acquainted Furthermore,
these choice bits Of old bread are cut up into
the three-cornered morsels which, fried in but
ter, adorn the dishes of the vegetables, &c;, we
enjoy at our favorite restaurant. But there
vet femains mass of fmud-stained, dust-soiled
scraps which once were bread; thus is worked
up In o mortar, pulverized, and sold as the
ckqpel,ire blanche in which our outlets are
dressed, or, to use the technical term, pane;
and as ctapeEure bruno which is sifted over the
small hams called jan,bonneaur. There still
remains dust which it ilhs been impossible to
work up-this is blackened in the oven and re-,
duced to an impalpable black powder, mixed
with honey, to which is added few drops OF
peppermint, and sold as an intallible cure for
quite as efic cious as anything recommended
by the faculty."