The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-01-21
THE BREAD OF THE NATIONS.
Peculiar Materials ami Modes OF Cook
ing-An Interesting Chapter ofStranRe

Facts.
We copy the following curious article,
by Mrs. Henry Ward Beecher, from the
Christian Union:
Bread is frequently mentioned in the
Old Testament, and was evidently
highly esteemed rs that which
"strengthencth mans heart" The
shewbread, twelve loaves Of which was
one of the sacred offerings, placed in the
outer court OF the Jewish sanctuary. to
remain there untouched one day and
the next to be eaten by the priests only.
If the people were d~isobedient and stiff
necked the Lord threatened to break
the staff of their bread. This shows
how important this part Of their pro-
vision was in the estimation of the
Jews
Of all food to which civilized OF even
the semi-barbareus nations have turned
for support none has been so universally
in use and thought so Indispensable rs
this, from whatever made or however
rudely manufactured. Many things
were used that we should decidedly OBJ
ject to if offered to any of us in place OF
the wheat, rye and corn bead that we
are so well acquainted with. To this
day, in countries, where our grains cam
not be raised or easily procured, the
people find some substitute which they
make into bread.
Earth-bread is made from q white
earth in Upper Lusatia, formerly a part
of Germany, but TO- under the rule OF
Prussia, and the poor Of that region TO
| this day use this bread in times of scar
city. The earth is dug from a hill
where saltpeter was once manufacturer.
When laid in the sun and heated it
cracks, and globules, like meal, eXude
from it. These are mixed with a little
, flour and soon ferment, and it is then
baked. Probably there is some salt
peter or soda in this earth which gives
it lightness. Something similar to it is
found in Catalonia and also used for
bread. 1t is affirmed that in cases OF *
IRENE need many have lived on this
bread for weeks without experiencing
any injury.
Fish-bread is still used in Iceland,
Lapland, Grim artary and other places
far north. The fish is dried, then beaten
to fine powder, and sometimes the inner
bark Of some of the trees of that region
is mixed with it, and then wet and
made into bread and cakes.
Moss-bread is much used in Iceland,
and is considered very, nutritive. The
lichen or reindeer moss contains a good
deal of starch. The moss is gathered IN
the summer, thoroughly dried and
ground into meal, and bread gruels and
pottage are made from it. 1t is some
times boiled in milk or whey till it be-
comes q jelly.
Banana-bread. All classes of people
in the West Indies are fond of bananas,
and particularly when made into bread.
The ripe fruit is rubbed through a sieve
and then formed into q loaf ana baked
in hot ashes or dried in the sun. Before
baking it is wrapped in some of the
banana leaves. It is always provided
by the people for long voyages.
Plantain-b bread is made from the fruit
of the plantain tree. The fruit is about
a foot long, two inches wide, has a
thick, tough skin, containing a soft,
pulpy flesh, quite sweet, and soon be-
COMES agreeable to all. The fruit is gath
cred green, the skin taken off and the
pulp roasted on q clear coal fire q short
time, then grated and made into loaves
and served up rs bread, or used dry like
grated cheese. The p~lantain is very
largely cultivated in Jamaica, and is a
native Of Asia. No kind of provision,
it il said, could supply the place of plan
tain-bread. The natives think it far
preferable to wheaten-bread or the pre-
pared bread-fruit from the bread tree.
Cassava-bread is made from q root
called Ja%tropan;at, found in the Carrib-
bee Islands. The juice is n deadly poi
son, and used by the Indians to poison
their arSows; but the bread from the
pulp of the root after the poison has
been extracted is much used by the ma
tives, and also by many Others, where
the root is raised. We have eaten it at
the South. and found it quite palatable.
The root is well cleaned and scraped,
finely grated. and then putin asack made
loosely of rushes. This is hung from q
cross-bar over a tree, or two forked
sticks, and q heavy weight put upon
the grated pulp, with a vessel beneath
the sack to receive the poisonous Juice.
When the pulp is pressed dry it is like
starch, and placed over smoke to dry it
becomes harmless. Then it is passed
through q sieve, and kept dry till
needed. 1t is now called ASSAY
When made into bread or cake it is
baked by laying it on hot iron plates, or
on hot earth. Tapioca is made from
the finest part of this root, collected into
the irregular globules or tears, rs the
natives call them, by straining the.
whole mass while yet moist.
S%ago-bread is made from the roots of
the sage tree, which grows in the islands
of Banda and Amboyna in the Malay
archipelago. The sage tree is cut into
small pieces, which are bruised and
beaten in q mortar then water is poured
over it, and left u%ndisturbed for some
hours, while the pithy matter, which
is the meal or sage, settles. When this
is accomplished the water is poured off,
and the meal dried, then formed into
cakes, or fermcnted and made into
bread. Those who nave visited these
islands, and eaten OF the bread rs made
by the natives, pronounce it almost rs
good as u wheaton bread. The trunk
of q single sago tree will yield 900
pounds Of sage, and 43O trees can be
planted on one acre of ground, produc-
ing $780, 500 pounds.
The Hottentots make their bread from
another variety of the sage tree. They
collect the pith from tine wood, and tie
it up in call or sheepskin that has been
well dressed, and bury it for several
weeks in the ground. This makes the
pith tender and mellow, when it is
made into cakes or thin loaves Of bread,
and baked under hot embers. Some
times this pith isroasted, and then made
into IL porridae. The pith Of this vari-
city Of sage tree is that used in COM
mcrce-granulated by being passed
through a sieve while still moist.
The bread fruit tree grows in the
South Sea islands The tree is about
the size of a well grown oak; the leaves
are Of oblong shape, sometimes a foot
and Il half long, shout as thick rs a fg
leaf and of the same color, though not
the same shape, and veined or marked
like it. The fruit is wrinkled some
thing like the trufTlc and about rs large
as q good-sized egg-pla It. The skin is
thin. There is Il core inside about the
size OF 4 finger. The part used as bread
lies between the skin and core, is very
white and very like new bread in ap-
rance
To prepare the fruit for use as bread
it is roasted whole or cut into small
pieces. When baked in m oven it be-
comes soft and is something like a boiled
potato, though not as good as a tirst-rate
mcaly one.
The Otaheitans have three modes of
using the bread-truit. When ripe they
put milk or cocoanut milk to it. and
beat it to 4 paste with a stone pestle. 1t
is then mixed with ripe plantains, or
bananas, or mahie. sMahie is a prepar-