The banner-enterprise., 1883-05-03
SOME FOOD CURIOSfTIES.
STRANGE DISHES THAT ARn POUND
IN vASious LANDS.

Dev.i Fish. Fried Ants. Rat Pie, etc.
1t is difficult, says a writer in the
New York World. to say what
man does or will not eat through
Fashion, curiosity or necessity, though
probably articles Of food which are
only consumed upon compulsion do
not merit mention in a disquisition
upon out-of-the-way viands. Among
the odd experiments In gastronomy
that have been recorded in the papers
OF late those with erocodiles flesh
Shoul,l have the most interest for
Americ IN readers. The eminent
Frenca 5 ientist, NJ. Paul Bert, re-
galad selec party at the Sorbonna
nor long ago with croco lille steaks,
which were v,td exc llent, with
something of musky flavor an, on
the whole, not unlike salmon. Tn
tail is the most dainty party. Tha
members oil the Wc,tphalian Zoo.ogi
cal society pronounce crocodile soup
the best of eating, and find the scent
OF the meat particularly appetizing.
1t should be boiled for three hours.
a less enthu>i lstic account of crocodile
meat is given by an English traveller,
who describes it aS tough, greasy and
fishy--'' something like tough pork
that had been fattened on fish and
u Wand not likely to commend itself to
the eater unless he was very hungry
and couldn't get anything else.
DIR. HermeS, the director Of the Berlin
aquarium, made an interesting ex-
pertinent in dracontoophagy when he
served up to his family and some in
vited friends dish If scrambled
snakes eggs. A few days before an
Indian python, lately received at the
Institution, had laid iitty-tiye eggs,
From thirty of these DR.. Hermes had
the singular dish prepared in the
presence of his guests They were
broken up into frying pun containing
the requiSita modicum Of melted
butter. The eggs have no yolk, but
are filled with Il grayish-white liquid;
the shells are neither hard nor brittle,
as in birds eggs. and after being
emptied Of their contents resemble
pieces Of leather. The taste was
likened to that Of mashed potatoes
mixed with rice. In his "Curiosites
of Natural History Frank Buckland
tells an amusing story Of his little girl
appropriating some snakes eggs and
eating them under the impression
that they were big sugar plums. The
same distinguished natural t had him
self banquettei upon hoa-constrictor,
which he found to resemble veal some
what. 1t is well-known that the
ka.irs and Hottentots eat snakes of
all kinds, even the deadly putfadder,
while the Bushman not only regards
their flesh as a delicacy, but consumes
without hesitation the animals which
he brings down with his arrows tipped
with the adder'a venom. The Austria
lian aboriglnes are snake eaters, and in
some rural districts in France bowl |
of viper broth is the popular prescrip-
tion for gout and scrotulous affections.
There is no particular reason for being
surprised over the discovery that a
roast crane stuffed with chestnutS and
prunts is a bird by no means to be de- |
spiSed, and it moves one to astonlSh |
ment to observe the London TeleHaph
recording as something Of a novelty
the experiments Of Westphalians with
roast bustard. The bustard, which is
larger than the turkey and more deli
cate, used to be famous dish at royal
and civic feaSts in London. 1t has
disappeared from England, and is but
rarely seen in France, but is abundant
in Hungary. In south America the
tapir, the sloth and the cafybara-a
great amph,bious Guinea pig-are eaten
by the natives. Roast arm ldillG, with
lemon and spice sauce, is a favorite
dish, and its flavor is delicious, though |
The plat may be objected to as too
greasy. The opossum is also held in
high estimation. and the South Ameri-
can practice is to bury it in the earth
until the flesh has lost its offensive
odor The monkey and the parrot are
dist II tly edible, though both may be
criticised as dry and insipid. The .
or devil fish, of the Mediter-
ra1ean is in great demand throughout
certain districts of Italy and Austria,
an the Greek and Italian fishermen at
San Francisco are much addicted to
the same unsightly delicacy. \ I
deviled devil prepared us one
would prepare devil crab, is regarded
as something celestial, and even when
cooked in tile ordinary fashion, the oc-
topus is looked upon as superior to the
clam, which in consistency and flavor
it s9meH hat rts mbles, The favorite
size is ten to Twelve inches from the
extreme point OF one tentacle to the
other. At this size they are very nice
and delicate. In preparation for the
table they are first opened, and all the
black liquid, called ink, is squeezed
out. They are then washed, put into
a pot with Sliced onion, carrots, garlic,
cloves or other seasoning, and boiled
and eaten with olive oil and Il squeeze
of lemon Cr lime. The shark, when
Young and tender, furnishes very ex-
cellent outlets, which in taste and ap.
pearance resemble sturgeon. but when
the fish comes to maturity it is detest
able being both tough and rank. The
natives of the South Seas, however, re.
gard it as a dainty. Fried porpoise
liver has been lauded by competent
authorities, but though the animal
figured as a dainty dish at the banquets
of the middle ages, its flesh is most
coarse and Indifferent. Whale is
worse, being tough and harsh and per-
meated with the taste and odor
Of train oil. Lut whales milk
is by no means to be despisel. OF
white ants fried to a crisp eminently
satisfactory accounts are given by dis
interested eaters, and amarine anneild,
Il. Il l. Al r.. 3