Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-05-26
STARTLING DISHES.
whata Correspondent Ase An C0naraI
America


says: / am sitting under q mango tree on
the hank Behind me Is the village of
Nechi, consisting Of one wide street with,
thatched aud waited huts on each side
of Il. Before me the Couca river, about
as vide rs the Hudson at Albany, rolls
down toward the MagdaIena, and just
opposite, flowing between high banks,ss
covered with the vivid vegetation of the
tropics, is the Hechi river. feel in that
satisfactory frame of mind which is the
result of dining well, st peace with all
the world, and as | watch the gray
smoke OF my cigarette curl upward in
the still, warm air, | reflect with graft.
tude upon the beauties-from a CASTRO,
nomic point Of view-o the water hog.
Fer the water hog is not outwardly ia
VUred by nature, looking as he does
something of cross between gigantic
muskrat and a badger. His grayisha
brown fur covers, however, many excel
lencies, and when he is cooked in q .sa-
worry stew, with plenty of onion, garlic
and green pepper, a little Worcester
sauce and some yucca in place Of pota-
Roes, you can eat him with pleasure to
your palate and profit to your general
health. You would not think him as
good as he really is when he lies snarl-
ing before you, tied up with string, but
then it is merely another of the many
lessons we get in this life-not to judge
by appearances.
And, speaking of appe arances, what
co0ld be more hideous that the iguana.
Imagine lizard about four feet long. a
row of spines down his back, making
him look like a monstrous saw, with
large hooked claws, an ugly head. a
cruel, cold eye, and pouch under the
Tower jaw, which he can initiate aud
change the color of at pleasure. Yet
this brute lives in the trees, has diet
composed exclusively of flowers and fruits
and is really perfectly harmless. / do
not mean that it would be safe to cut
the stitches which fasten his lips to-
gether--these are sewed ap before he is
brought to market because otherwise he
might snap, and bite from those jaws
would probably be severe-but he is
timid and would never attack any one.
But when cooked, isn't he goodl You
know what frogs legs taste like7 Well,
iguana is to frogs legs just about what
pheasant is to capon. He is tender, he
is gamy with a beautiful gaminess. he
is very deliciousl The white, delicate
flesh, the small bones, the attractive odor
of the Wand, all unite to produce a favor
able impression which is more than con-
firmed by the first taste.
There is an amount Of resemblance be-
tween the monkey and the man which
impresses one, whether he be a Darwin
ian or not 1t is therefore difficult when
you fish up black monkeys skull from
the depths of the boiling broth to resist
belief that you have approached canni-
balism. For that reason, If you have a
black monkey to eat--and let me tell you
that it is one of the best dishes to be pro-
cured in the terra caliente--allow me to
advise you to omit the head when
making up the dish. Otherwise, as a
surety, you will GO hungry at least for
the first time With this pfecaution, you
can eat aud bc thankful, the flesh tasting
about midway between hare aud mutton,
or, | should say, venison. It is tender
and has peculiar flavor in the right
season, owing to tho fondness of the
animal for guavas. AS these grow wild
everywhere, in the guava time the black
monkeys get very fat, and one Is looked
upon as decidedly It'd bit.
The boys lathead, with its forked
tongue playing in and out, the smooth,
sinuous gliding motion of the great
snake as it travels between the trees and
bushes, reminding one of we'll creased
rope and giving q greater idea OF power
than anything | know of, would not,
under ordinary circumstances, make one
think of dinner Yet the flesh of the
boa is eaten and considered very good.
have tasted it simply from GU
riosity, but to me it seemed
good deal like alligator
steak, somewhat musky. AT the same
time am bound to say that the meat
looked well and must be healthy, or it
would not be eaten as much as it is. The
same superstition as that mentioned by
Livingston as being prevalent in Africa
about the Hesh of the great snakes OBJ.
tains here in a modified form. The
poems viii tell YOU that eating the meat
will make YOU very strong. They do not
say brave, but the old Spanish writer's
record the fact that the Indians origin
ally in the country considered snake
flesh as being tic meat for warriors only.
While alligafors can be seen down here
IN thousands, have never heard of any
one eating them Turtles. or rather tor
toises, are caught. and find a natural
grave Al the uOuAce VI TIC SuptOAS. WHo
of them, an oval shaped chap, Is very
good in q stew, and serves to remind
you, though family. of the terrapin.
There is sort of worm, the larva OF
some insect which / have tasted. lt Is
found in dead trees, and is about the
size offs man middle finger. Boiled in
salt and water and then baked, it tastes
something like chestnuts. ! must con-
Tess, though, that it is not an enticing
dish. However, il many men have
many minds, certainly they have as
many dishes. and / know of ne better
rule in travelling than that given BY st.
Paul: Ear, asking no questions"
Grant and the SkmIker.
General Grant is 4 firm believer in
the mythical lucky star. an old military
man sid -, ma 1aek nsrht 81 ike Ma