The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-12-15
pen,Dlican.


this year in the Manitoba country, where the
flesh of this animal manufactured into pemmi
can affords the principal means Of subsistence
during large portion Of the year, suggests the
inquiry, what is pemmcan? A correspondent
OF the New York Eceniag Post, writing from
Winnipeg, thVr answers it,
1t is oHr ul late years that pemmican has
come HO public notice as n condensed food
valuable to the commissariat upon long eNpe-
dlions Hitherto it has been Il provision pc
cular to British America, and particularly to
the service OF the Hudson Bay Company. Not
withs;anding the vast annual slaughter OF but
faloes south OF the forty ninth parallel, mo penn.
mcan is made there: the meat being used in
the fresh or green STATE, or in the form OF jerk.
ed beef The pcmmican Of the English Arctic
expeditions differs from the real article in be.
ing made of beef mixed with raisins and spi.
ces, and preserved from decay by being her
medically sealed. Buffalo pemmican may be
said 10 keep itself, requiring no spices or sea
soning for It's preservation, and may be kept
in any vessel and under any conditions, except
that of dampness, for unlimited time 1t IL
one OF the most perfect forms of condensed food
known, and is excelled by no other provision
in its sahtyng quality. The amount Of fused
throughout the territory is almost incredible,
as, beside the enormous quantity consumed in
the company's service, ii appears, when attain
able, upon the table Of every halt.breed in the
country. SO essential is it to the wants Of the
rOydg6oFS, rs the staple article OF food upon
the long voyages made in the transportation
service of the Fur Company, that its manulac-
ture is stimulated in every way by the agents
Of that corporation, and every available pound
is bought up for its use, II
How pEMlHCAN IS MADE.
Pemmicm forms the principal product OF
the summer buffalo hunt when, to preserve
from decay the large quantities OF meat taken,
some artificial process is necessary. \ con
siderable amount is also made in the earlier
part Of the autumn hunt, though the major
part OF the product Of this chase is preserved
by frost in a fresh condition. To manutature
pemmican the flesh of the buffalo is first cut
up into large Jumps, and then again into fakes
or thin slices, and hung up in the sun or over
the fire to dry, When it is thoroughly desic-
Gated it is taken down, placed upon raw-hides
spread out upon the prairie, and pounded or
beaten sometimes by wooden fails again be
tween two stones, until the meat is reduced to
thick, tiaky substance or pulp Bags made
of buffalo hide, with the hair on the outside,
about the size OF IN ordinary pillow or flour
sack, say two feet long, one and Il half feet
wide and eight inches thick, are standing ready,
and each one is half filled with the powdered
meat. The tallow or fat of the buffalo having
been boiled by itself in huge cauldron isnow
poured hot into the oblong bag IN which the
pulverized meat has previously been placed.
The contents are then stirred together until
they have been thoroughly mixed; the dry
pulp being sodered down into hard solid
mass 10y the melted fat poured over it. When
full the bags are sewed up rs tightly as posi-
bic, AMI the pemmican allowed to cool Each
bag weighs one hundred pounds, the quantity
OF fat being nearly half the total weight, the
whole composition forming the most solid des
criptiOn of food that man can make. 1t is the
travelling provision used thrOughoutthc North,
where, in addition to its already specified quail
tications. its great facility OF transportation
renders il extremely valuable, There is no risk
of spelling it, as, if ordinary care be taken to
keep the bags free from mould, there is no as
signable limit to the time pemmican will keep.
IL is estimated that, on an average, the carcass
cs of two buifalocs are required to make one
bag Of pemmican-one filing the bag itself,
the other supplying the wants OF the wild say
aye engaged in hunting 1t down.
a DAINTY DISH.
The hest form of pcwmican made for table
use, generally has added 10 it ten pounds of.
sugar and saskootoom or service berries-thei
latter acting much rs currant Jelly does with
vcnlsOn, correcting the greasiness ofthe mess by
n slightly acid sweetness. Sometimes wild cher
rics are used instead of the saskootoom. This
berry-pemmican is considered the best Of its,
kind, and is very pafatablc
THE FLAvoR or pEMMICAN.
The tiaver of pemmcan depends much on
the fancy of the person eating it. There is no
other article Of food that bears the slightest re
semblance To it, and as consequence it is diff
tcult to define its peculiar flavor by compar1-
son. | have heard it likcned to sawdust, oak
chips and taliow candles; again, to tallOw can
dies, elm chips and the stuffing of sofa cusli-
ions-the candle flavor being the only point
common To all descriptions of its taste.
Pemmican may be prepared for the table an
many different ways, the consumer being at
full liberty To tiecitie which is the least oblcc-
tionablc. The method largely in vogue among
the c0ytgCHrS is ghat known as pemmican
straight" that is, uncooked. But there are
several ways Of cooking it which improves its
flavor to the civilized palate There is reibei
boo, which is Il composition of potatoes, on
ions, or other esculents, and pcmmican boiled
up together. and. when properly seasoned, very
palatabc. In Tx. form of rchot, however
pemmican is best liked by persons who us. it,
and by The roBdgtars. Mixed with little
flour and fried lea a pan, pemmcan in this
form can bc catrH. provided the appetite be
sharp and there j. nothing else Ia I've had.
This la>l consideration j., however of impor-
lance.
Ii your lndladys daughter is pretty yen
may say, Please pass mc that, honey