The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1882-08-18
SOME QUEER DISHES.

What abOuU worms. for tnstOnce l
do not mean the common eaTthworm, of
whose agricultural efforts Mr.. Darwin
descants in so learned and interesting
WAY The earthW0rm, so far as L am
aware. is not used as a staple article of
food in any part OF the world, DuI mere
Iv as a resource among certain tribes of
Indians in time of famine, and is no
more to De classed as an ordinary arti-
Gle of diet with them than leather or
canvas soaked in grease is with us al
though both these, as well as other cur
ious things, have often been had recourse
to by cast away sailors IN an attempt to
sPtisfy the cravings of hunger. The
anelid ! refer to is marine species, and
is looked upon as a great luxury by all
the residents of the South Sea Islands.
II lives in the coral reefs, and from the
middle of October to the end Of Novem-
Der it comes to the surface at sunrise in
immense numbers: and great is the
commOtiOn and excitement among the
people at the first appearance of the little
stranger. Its arrival is always heralded
by feasts and during the Balola or the
worm month, all the native wax fat and
lusty on this their faVorite article of
food. The worm is curiously punctual
in its appearance, almost to day and
the months in which it appears are res
pectively called the little and big Balola
months. From early dawn on the ex-
pected day, scouts are placed on the hills
and rocks commanding a view of the
reefs and no sooner does the expected
shoal appear than all the wooden drums
in the neighbOring villages are sounded
and the entire population, big and little
old and young, sound and lame, rush to
the beach and while the able bodied
ones help to launch the canoes, the re-
mainder set to work TO dig and heat the
ovens, or to discuss the chances Of a
good or bad worm season.
Fleets of canoes swaTming with people
all armed with Eets, at once put off, and
scoop up the worms in huge quantities;
they are then taken to shore and handed
over to the cooks, who, after adding a
certain amount of cocoa-nut milk, pre-
pared for the purpose, tie them up in
banana leaves, previously passed over
the fire to tOughen them, and then bake
them some time in an oven, when they
are ready for consumption, and are Of
ten sent around to present to friends. as
game is with us.
DR.. Stradling mentions white ants,
but does not appear to have tasted them;
allow me to tell him that they ''are
dear little things, when properly fried
in their own fat plump, sweet and sat-
isfying but curiously unlike ants in ap-
peaIance. They are generally much es-
teemed as food by natives of most of the
countries in which they are found.
-PoTpoise and whale are also edible. l
have tried both and have found porpois Sc
liver excellent, and not to be distiugu-
ished from that of pig. OF the flesh,
however, l can hardly speak so highly,
as it requires both good cooking and a
long abstinence from flesh meat to make
it at all palatable. Our ancestors, how
ever, were of a different opinion, as in
Olden time it was highly esteemed, and
we generally find the ''peTpusS'' fgur-
ing as a distinguished dish in most of
the great banquets of the middle ages.
But if the flesh of the porpoise is coarse
and Indifferent, that of his big cousin is
still more so and the OILY time l tast-
ed whale I found the meat exceedingly
coarse and tough, as well as permeated
with a naseus taste and smell of train
oil, The tongue, however, is said to be
much better, but it never has come un-
der my observation. Whales milk is by
no means to be despised.
Shark, the full grown fish is detesta-
ble-tOugh, and a terribly rank smell.
II is seldom eaten by white men except
under pressure of extreme necessity
but the native of the South Seas view it
it in different light, and look upon the
monster at special luxury. Moreover
n new Zealand Maori knows no greater
treat than q shark that has been kept
until high enough to be unapproachable
by any one but a native. But with a
young shark of the brown variety the
case is different, and l we'll remember,
during a five months residence at Opa-
ra, having good meal of friedI cutie is,
cut from young sharks, about four feet
long and at last we came to look upon
it as the best fish there. In taste and
appearance it reminded one more of
sturgeon than anything else. It like
wise resembles the latter fish in having
gTlstle instead of bones and was su-
perior, both in flavor and frmness, TO
the British dog fish, which afterwards
tried. - Chambers Journal.