The Sentinel. [volume] (Trenton, N.J.) 1880-1882, 1882-09-23
Some Culinary Oddities.
White Ants on Toast-Cutlets Of Whale
and Porpoise.

and Porpolse.
What about worms, for instance?
do not mean the common earthworm,
OF whose agricultural efforts Mr.. OAR
win descants in so learned and inter-
est1ng way. The earthworm, so far
as L am aware, is not used as staple
article of food inanypart oft he world
but merely as a resource among
certain tribes of Indians in time of
famine, and is no more to be classed
as an ordinary article of diet with
them than leather or canvas soaked
in grease is with us; although both
these, as well as other curious things.
have often been had recourse to by
castaway sailors in the attempt to
satisfy the cravings of hunger. The
annelid refer to is q marine species,
and is looked upon as great luxury
by all the natives of the South Sea
ISLANDS. 1t lives in the coral reefs,
and from the middle of October to the
end of November comes to the surface
at sunrise in immense numbers and
great is the commotion and excite
ment among the people on the first
appearance of the little stranger. Its
arrival is always heralded by feasts;
and during the Balolo or worm
months, ALI the natives wax fat and lus-
ty 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 re.
spectively called the little and big
Balolo months. From early dawn on
the expected day scouts are placed on
the hills and rocks commanding a
view of the reefs and no sooner does
the long-expected shoal appear than
all the wooden drums in the neigh
boring villages are sounded, and the
entire population, big and little,
young and old, sound and lame, rush
to the beach; and, while the able
bodied ones help to launch the canoes,
the remainder set to work to dig and
heat the ovens, or to discuss the
chances of a good or bad worm season.
Fleets of canoes swarming with
people all armed with nets, at once rut
off and scoop up the worms in large
quantities. They are then taken
ashore and handed over to the cooks,
who, after adding certain quantity
of cocoanut milk especially prepared
for the purpose, tie them up in young
banana leaves, which have been pre-
viousIy passed over the fire to tougher
them, and then bake them for some
time in an oven, when they are ready
for consumption, and are often sent
around as presents to friends, just as
game is among ourselves.
DR.. Stradling mentions white ants,
but does not appear 10 have tasted
them. Allow me to tell him that they
are "dear little things" when fried in
their own fat-plump, sweet and sat
isfying, but curiously unlike ants in
appearance. They are generally much
esteemed as food by the natives of
most of the countries in which they
are found.
Porpoise and whale are also edible.
have tried both an l found porpoise
liver excellent, and not to be distin-
guished from that of pig. OF the flesh,
however, I can hardly speak so highly
as ii requires both good cooking and q
long abstinence from fresh meat to
make it at all Lalatable. Our ances-
tors, however, were of q different
opinion, as IN olden times it was high
ly esteemed, aid we generally find
the ''porpuss" figuring as distin-
gufshed dish in most of the great BAN
quets of the Middle Ages. But if the
flesh of the porpoise is coarse and in
different, that of his big cousin, the
whale, is still more so and the only
time tasted it l found the meat ex-
ceedingly coarse and tough, as well as
permeated with q nauseOus taste and
smell of train oil. The tongue, how
ever, is said to be much better, but it
never has come under my obser-
walton. Whales milk is by no means
to be despised.
Shark, the full-grown fish, is detest-
able-tough and of terribly rank
smell; 1t is rarely eaten by white
men except under pressure of extreme
necessity ; but the natives of the South
Seas view it in different light, and
look upon the monster as a special
luxury. Moreover, New Zealand
Maori knows no gre alter treat than
shark that has been kept until high
enough to be unapproachable within
twenty yards of any one but native.
But with a young shark of brown
variety the case is different, and /
well remember during a five months
residence at Opara, having many
good meal of fried outlets 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 APP
xo,ronoa ~ roDnipda ono mora oT GtT1r.