Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-06-25

solo Tor penny. These form the IN
variable meal of the Persian soldier,
if he can afford it. The meat is
pounded and served with the soup or
eaten afterwards as a separate dish.
But lie Persia, as in the rest Of the
East, rice or dates are the real food
the meat merely tie sauce. Persians
of all ages are very fond of confect-
ionery, aud are constantly devourin G
sweets. These are generally pure and
good; but there is little variety IN
color, most of them being white, and
nearly all are favored with lemon
juice.
The lower class Persian will eat sew,
eral pounds of grapes, cucumbers OF
apricots for meal; they eat onions
as Weleat..apples. Pomegranates and
melons are IN great demand as food
and the melons which run to fourteen
pounds ia weight are very nutritious.
Cucumbers are looked on as fruit, and
are eaten in large quantities by rich
and poor. They are not indigestible.
Seven POUNDS weight may be had for
halfpenny. Grapes in infinite va
riety and of the most delicious kinds,
from the huge long grape, which
measures two inches, to the tiny sui,
tana, sweet as honey to the taste.
Thecurds or mast is simply made
by adding a small portion of the
rennet or else old curds to warmed
milk; ia a few hours it sets into a
mass, the cream on the top. If eaten
the first day, it is like a junket; if
allowed to remain it becomes sour
and will keep good any time. Ia this
sour state it is preferred, and is eaten
with honey, sugar or grape sugar.
Eggs boiled hard and dyed a gay
color are much eaten; from forty to
fifty can be had for Cd. These things,
then, form the cheap and varied diet
of the working classes. Beef, too, is
eaten by them; never by the well,to~
do.
The townspeople and the wealthy
among the Persians devote much at
tention to good living. Breakfast
generally is a comparatively light
meal, but consists of several plates of
varying merit, but always served hot !;
it is taken about noon. At about eight
o'clock at night dinner is served.
Persian cookery is extravagant-
partly because the Persians are Law
ishly hospitable, partly because all
house servants are fed from the leav,
ings Of the masters table. Kababs of
another kind to those we have
described take the palm among the
Persian dishes to the European taste,
probably because they are free from
grease. Small pieces of lamb, the
size of walnut, are skewered on a
slender rod of iron; two pieces of
lean and piece of the delicate fat of
the huge tail of the Oriental sheep are
put on alternately, a piece of garlic
or onion is added, and the kabab is
roasted over fierce fire and han. ed
hot; it is eaten with a little salt and q
squeeze of lemon.
Pillaws are merely boiled meat,
venison or fowls smothered in noun :
tains of rice. This rice is delicatelv
boiled, and little clarified butter is
added. We fear to say how much
pillaw Persian will consume. Tiny
chickens, quails, pigeons, doves and
young cartridges are handed hot on
the spit itself to each guest. Except
the partridge, game is not much APP
preclated in Persia. The hare is not
eaten by the religious, and there are
no rabbits.
Fish is seldom seen, save on the
coast. Entrees of various kinds are
served. They are nearly always eaten
with boiled rice. which is served plain,
without butter, and termed chillaw.
Among such entrees are the fzzin-
jain, which consists of chicken, par
fridge, or lamb meat boiled to rags,
served hot with a sauce of pounded
walnuts, pomegranate juice, and
clarified butter. A similar entree is
made up On the same basis with un-
ripe grapes and butter; another with
stewed apricots and butter, or stewed
plums of Bokhara and butter. All
these are eaten with large quantities
of plain boiled rice. seemingly very
rich, yet in CON bination with the rice
they are to the Persian taste delicious,
and Europeans residing in Persia soon
them.
Confectionery and pastry in large
quantities are consumed. Lambs a
week old and weighing only few
pounds, are roasted whole and stuffed
with dates, raisins, chestnuts, pis-
tachios and almonds. Ducks, tame
Or wild, are not much liked. Sherbet,
in large china bowls is always served
at dinner Itconsists of fruit syrups;
it is usually iced, and is drunk from
huge wooden spoons. These are some
times so thin as to be in parts trans~
parent; they are of native manufact-
ure and delicately carved. They are
often of great value, and the wealth
of Persian is often shown in the
variety and value of his wooden sher-
bet spoons.
In its way, the Persia cuisine is as
scientific as that of France. Every
thing is good and plentiful; there are
no authorizations; the only fault is on
the side of profusion. The free use of
clarified butter, i. must be remember
ed, is to enable the partaker to swal--