The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1876-11-18
A Matter of Taste.


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The dish for which Esau sold bis birth
right-a dish Of lentils-was hardl
equivalent to one Of the dried beans. t
an epicure there might have been som
excuse Tor the barter, had it been choic
Wand, bat little for anything so ordinar
as lentils. The aosh pots after whici
the lsraelltes longed 80 much while il
Egypt, and on their journey through tn
desert, would hardly appear appetizin,
in their descendants who are now SO scat
tered through the lands where gastrouo
my has become an art. Climate as vel
as race has much to do with this. In ,
warm one q sober diet ia drink and foot
is moro essential than 10 a cold Que. Tb,
English in India. who refuse to recogniz,
this law, return in few years with
torpid liver and yellow complexion
The appetite Of Arab is satisfied with rice
olives, bread, and an occasional mea,
stew, while the Russian safes himself with
greasy food and strong liquor. If moth.
ing more unctuous 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, re.
quires meat, ale and gin 10 generous Dor.
tions. According to o medical authority
of London, when the Indians, in their
long journeys arc seized with hunger.
they eat small balls of clay, which
remain in the stomach and stop the arpe.
tite for many hours. Germans are ip
the habit of eating uncooked meat in the
guise Of ham, sausage aud fresh meat
for which physician afirms that many
Of them have had $4,000 worms in one
inch Of their fesh. penetrating everywhere
and producing death.
The promptings of nature are not much
needed in the United States, for the FOOD
which is consumed 10 Maine is also eaten
in Florida. The same pork. salted, cur.
ed and fresh. seen 10 these two geograpb.
ical extremes, is also familiar to the
inhabitants of California. Indiana and
Delaware. The bills of fare OF the res.
taurants of New Orleans resemble much
those of New York, the promise, howev-
er, being more faithfully kept in the
northern than 10 the southern city.
Each nation, notwithstanding cable
kilograms 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 ono 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 unpleasant to
to him. During his sojourn he was
always endeavoring to escape from the
smell Of them, and to this day probably
his recollectious of America arc iutim.
ately associated with the testaceous ami
mails. The amateur Of cooked oysters
may affirm. and probably with reason,
that the Prince did not know what was
good. but that is matter of opinion.
The Prince likely, as most Euglishmeo
are, is fond Of eating cheese and lettuce
together, which tho amateur of cooked
oyster would probably dislike as much as
much as Tie royal guest did his favorite
food.
According to the newspapers. when
another member Of the royal family, not
long ago was travelling through the Uni.
ted States, ho said his chief objection to
the country was. he could not get any.
thing to eat. the remark being made after
going through the South and West and
before reaching the Metropolis. The hope
was held out to him in Philadelphia that
in New York he would find compensation
for the trials which he had undergone 10
other parts Of tho Union but be was
skeptical and counted on little improve.
ment. If a reporter of the press may be
credited he went SO ar as to say we were
the worst fed oil all civilized peoples.
Some weight may be attached to the
opinion, as he who gave. has some rep.
utation as gastronomer.
To go from royalty to the proletariat,
the workingmen's delegates from France
to the Centennial Exhibition complained
Of the food which was set before them by
their fellow workmen here. They we're
simple toilers, unaccustomed to the deli.
cacies OF the table. Thus all classes from
we'll fed foreign countries appear to
entertain much the same opinion as re.
CARDS the American kitchen.
Eating particular kind of food,
together with the preparation Of it, is so
much a matter Of custom that we are apt
to like that best which We have been
accustomed to eat; hence it is that the
foreigner favors bis own nourishment and
pronounces against ours to the extent that
he does. Man everywhere is almost as
tenacious of bis food as he is of his relig.
ion errors and abuses in one being
nearly as difficult to eradicate as in the
other. But after making due allowance
for prejudice in the mind Of the foreigner,
there is probably foundation for at least 3
portion of his criticism /; entertained as
it is in different lands. There is such
unanimity on this head, that there is
warrant for believing, il an international
congress Of gastronomY were to be organ.
lied. that the United States would not
hold the rank fsome other nations which
we are wont to regard as considerably
behind this one in general civilization.