Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-11-04
AMATTER OF TASTE.
The dish for which Esau sold h

The dish for which Esau sold his birth
right-a dish of lentils-was hardly
equivalent to one of dried beans. To an
epicure there mig hit have been some
excuse for the barter had it been a
choice Wand. but little for anything as
ordinary as lentils. The flesh pots
after which the Israelites longed SO
much while in Egypt, and on their jour
ney through the desert, would hardly
appear appetizing to their defendants
who are now scattered through the lands
where gastronomy has become an art.
Climate as well as race has much to do
with this. In warm one a sober diet
in drink and food is more essential than
in cold one. The English in India,
who refuse to recognize this law, return
in few y ears with a torpid liver and a
yellow complexion. The appetite Of the
Arab is satisfied with rice, olives, bread.
and occasional meat stew, while the
Russian safes himself with greasy TODD
and strong liquor. If nothing more
unctious is within reach, the peasant
will eat tallow dip with relish. The
Italian of Southern Italy can content
himself with maccaroni, while the Dutch
man, surrounded with water and fog,
requires meat, ale and gin, in generous
portions. According to a medical au-
thority OF London. when the Indians, in
their long journeys, are seized with
hunger, they eat small balls OF clay,
which remain in the stomach and stop
the appetite for many hours Germans
are in the habit OF eating unsmoked
meat IN the guise of ham, sausage, and
fresh meat for which physician atfirms
| that many of them have had $4,000
worms in one inch of their flesh, pene-
trating everywhere, and producing death
The promptings OF nature are not
much needed in the United States. for
the food which is consumed in Maine is
also eaten in Florida The same pork,
salted, cured, and fresh, seen in these
two geographical extremes. is also
familiar to the inhabitants of California,
Indiana, and Delaware. The bills of
fare OF the restaurants of New Orleans
resemble much those Of New York, the
promise, however, beng more faith
fully kept in the northern than in the
southern city.
Each nation. Notwithstanding cable
grams and rapid steamships, retains
certain food characteristics. Some OF
these the stranger naturally remarks as
soon as he comes into the country.
When the Prince of Wales was here
the most striking one to him was the
prevalence of the eating of oysters. the
smell of them, raw, cooking and cooked
and the sight of the shells, being un.
pleasant to him. During his sojourn he
was always endeavoring to escape from
3 the smell of them and to this day prob
ably his recollections of America art
intimately associated with these tesla
ceous ANIMALS. The amatuer OF cooked
oysters may affirm, and probably witt
e reason, that the Prince did not know
! what was good but that is matter o
opinion, The Prince likely, as mos
: Englishmen are, is fond of eating lettuce
and cheese together, which the amateu
r of cooked oysters would probably dislik'
q as much as the royal guest did his favor
ite food
According to the newspapers, whel
: another member of a royal family, nc
long ago was travelling through tn
to the country was that he could not &c
e anything to eat: the remark being mad
e after going through the south and west
!, | duu OClOAO AOoSuAAS 0A0 AASsAOkSoAAS
u The hope was held out to him in Phila
delphia that in New York he woul
e find compensation for the trials whic
n he had undergone in other parts of tn
;, Union; but he was skeptical, and coun
Z" ed on little improvement. II a reporte
% of the press may be credited, he wei
so far as to say that we were the wor'
t, fed of all civilized peoples. Som
weight may be attached to this opinion
re as he who gave 1t has some reputatio
< as a astronomer.
=. To 90 from royalty to the proletaria
~ the working men s delegates frol
France to the centennial exhibition con
'e planned of the food which was place
v before them by their fellow wOrkme
here. They were simple toilers, una
customed to the table. Thus all classt
IN from well-fed foreign countries appe.
to entertain much the same opinion s
ts regards the American kitchen.
Eating particular kind of food. t.
gether with the preparations of it, is s
a much matter of custom that we al
2 apt to like that best of which we ha,
ee been accustomed to eat; hence it is th
the foreigner favors his own nourisl
ment and pronounces against ours,
ia the extent that he does. Man evel
er where is almost as tenacious of the for
u OF his food as he is OF his religion ;erro
and abuses in one being nearly as diff
cult to eradicate as in the other. B
lie after making due allowance for pref
E. dice in the minds of the foreigner, the
s. is probably foundations for at least
portion of his criticism, entertained
it is in different lands. There is SUI
n, unanimity on this head, that there
Id warrant for believing. if an internation
re congress OF gastronomy were to be o
N ganizcd, that the United States wou
not hold the rank of some other natiol
which we are wont to regard as consi
It erably behind this one in general civi
le zation.-[A Albert Rhodes in the Gala,
ne for November