Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-08-13
Meat and Drink in Mexico

Meat and Or1nk in Mexico.
Boston HerGId's city Of Aesico Letter.
1t is a common custom to precede coffee
with an indulgence in fruit, which is de-
liciOus and cheap in this country, and is
regarded as particularly healthful at that
time of day, and the great basketful set
before one is tempting enough in its rich
variety of cOlors and shapes. There are
oranges, freshly plucked and juicy, and
bananas of various sizes, from dainty
little yellow ones to huge red specimens.
But one of the most delicious products of
the tropics is the mango, the eating of
which, however, is apt at first to en-
barrass and perpleX a stranger to no
small degree. In shape the mango re-
sembles a pear with the stem at the
wrong end, flattened, however, like a
bean, and with the small end turned
over to one side something like the
figures common on cashmere shaWls. One
large variety is entirely yellow, and
smaller kind is yellow with rich red
cheeks, offering tempting hues for a still
life painter Inside is very large seed,
which forms a considerable impeachment
to the enjoyment of the inexperienced,
for the pulp is joined to this in a stringy
way, and it is difficult to handle the slip
perry thing. A thoroughly ripe mango
has a kind of combination of muskmel0n
and baked custard aspect and texture to
llo utCI y CllON pllIJs anu llS IlCu nav VI Is
indescribable except that when eaten for
the first time it seems to have a slight trace
of turpentine, which resemblance how
ever, disappears on acquaintance. The
large yellow variety seemed to me to have
a very slight and delicate flavor of peanut
candy. The person who eats a mango for
the first time generally covers himself
with confusion and his face with mango
pulp and juice, which is very sticky and
yellow, so that he looks as if somebody
had been feeding him with soft boiled
eggs in the dark. 1t will not do to eat a
mango as one would an ordinary fruit,
the correct way being to use a mango
fork, which has but one tine, and is there
fore really not fork at all, but spit.
With this the fruit is impaled at one end
and the point thrust firmly In the seed,
which may thus be stripped of its last
pulp without soiling the fingers.
An Odd-seeming fruit is the name, about
the size small cOcOanut, egg-shaped and
covered with a cOcOanut-hued, but rather
thin, rough shell. One can hardly per-
suade himself that it is not cooked, for the
substance, which is of deep brick-red
hue, has the consistency of a boiled pump
kin and tastes something like squash
pie. 1t has one large, shiny black seed,
about three inches long. The best way to
eat the fruit is with a spoon, direct from
the shell. Strawberries are in season
nearly all the year. They are of good
flavor but, like the apricot, pear and other
Northern fruit which abound here,
could bemuch improved by the cultivation
of gOOdyarieties-a chance for our nursery
men to introduce their products in Mex
leo, where there is no reason why the
fruits of the temperate zone should not be
as good as those in California. There is
also an abundance of watermelOns and
muskmelOns, and pOmegranates and figs
are Just coming into season. The figs are
the best fresh ones l have ever seen, and
the first l ever really liked. They are
very nice eaten with cream, but cream is
rather scarce here. | must retract all
that | said against the prickly pear in a
letter written to the Herald from Ell PasO,
in Texas, about two years ago, and based
upon experience with the miserable
little wild variety growing there
abouts. The tuna, as the fruit of the
prickly pear is called here, is a luscious
fruit, full of seeds, sweet and refreshingly
juicy, with a flavor Of cinnamon about it.
So it may be seen that we have rich
variety of fruit for our morning repast,
and one can willingly fOregO aahearty
breakfast in consideration therefor. Other
fruits, equally novel and tempting, are
promised in the course of the seasons,
among them the cherimoya, or alligator
pear, which is eaten with a spoon from
the skin, and is said to resemble a deli
cious ice cream in flavor, though not in
temperature.
The Mexican almuerZO, or breakfast, is
served at noOn,. and corresponds to the
French dejeuner. 1t is very hearty and
does not differ from our regular dinner.
AS an example of the best class of restau-
rants, will cite the Cafe Anglais, which
is kept by a most amiable Frenchman.
who, after making fortune in the same
business in Peru, went back to France to
euiOy it, but lost it through his SON. Re
turning to Peru, he made another fortune,
but was ruined by the CHILEAN war at the
time of the taking Of Lima. He has been
i'll Mexico two years, and is in fair way
to make a third fortune. The restaurant
occupies what was the patio, or court, of
hotel, and has been rooted over with
glass. The place is Ornamented with pro-
fusion of blooming plants, for which Next !
cans have had passion from the DAYS of
the AZtecs. Each side of the long en-
trance is lined with rows of plants, FORM |
ing pleasant approach, and in the centre |
OF thereon is large group, while air
plants hang in baskets all around the !
sides. With our soup we take aguecate. |
kind of fruit with a black skin and |
about the shape of a large fig. 1t con- |
tains large nutmeg-shaped seed, and is |
of soft and somewhat pasty greenish |
substance. 1t is called a natural butter, |
ana uHe poor people spread 1t on their /
bread, butt has no resemblance to butter |
in flavor, and is not in the least greasy.
To me 1t seems more egg-like and creamy |
in taste. 1t is cut up and put |
into soup, forming a very pleasant |
addition, or is eaten as a vegetable with |
salt and pepper. Next to soup comes |
eggs, served as one may PREFER A favo- !
rite way is la plata, or shIrred. as /
Americans would call them, being brok- |
en- into heated little dish of silver and |
brought to the table cooking. A Spanish |
omelet, or tortilla, is also very nice, be- |
ing served in large, round shape. like a |
German pancake, and favored with leeks |
cut up in it. The meats and vegetables |
are mostly common to the French cui- |
sine and need no description, except to |
say that the salads are excellent, with |
the best 0flettuce fresh tomatoes, and |
other cOncomitants 1t is not uncommon |
for the guests to make their own salad. |
calling for the separate materials, in !
Guiding cold chicken, and mixing up |
their own mayennaise from boiled eggs, |
oil and vinegarin due proportions There |
are three regular meat courses and a large
number OF dishes to select from. The |
dessert or postresS consists of fruit and |
dulces, the latter consisting either of pud-
ding or custard, or of preserved fruits.
This meal costs siXty-twO cents of Next
can money, which is equivalent to about
% cents OF American money, 1t in
cludes either tea, coffee or chocolate.
The latter is usually taken the last thing
at the evening meal or comida, the dinner.
which is precisely the same as the break
fast in general character, the menu. how
ever, being changed.