The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-02-23
FOOD In JAPAN.
NOTES AND CONTENTS OF AN oF-
FiClAL OBSERVER.
Comparatively Little Animal Food Eaten
The Food of the Masses Nine
Tenths Vegetable Effects
Life and Health.

The American consul general at Yoko-
hama not long ago gave brief review OF
the food habits of the Japanese that is
interesting, both as regards the facts and
the comments of the official observer. He
said: So universal has meat-eating be-
come among the dominating races
that the praises of beef are
ton has gone, and it is not only a
popular belief, but an accepted scientific
opinion, that any well-fed people must use
animal food considerably; to have meat to
eat frequently is reckoned the best proof
that the common laborer in a country Is
we'll favored. Japan, with a population
of SO, 000, 900, equal to that of the United
Kingdom, engaged in very diversified in
dustry, presents a complete exception TO
the rule as to food. The scarcity of ami
NAL food, In consequence of the non-inter-
course policy, and its almost unnecessary
prohibition by the religious faith, have
made nation of vegetarians, except as 10
fish, which is not forbidden as flesh.
@Of the 40 900 head slaughtered in
1880, the foreign residents and the foreign
marine consumed more than half. Out
side of the treaty ports, mutton and pork
are almost unknown; there is an abun.
dance of fowls, both wild and barnyard,
but the common people can not pay for
them. The .pply and variety of fish,
however, are very large, over 200
kinds being used as food, and the gov
eminent is actively working to increase
both Already probably one half the peo
pie eat fish once q day, one-quarter several
times month. Still. the food of the
masses is more than nine-tenths vegetable,
and the list of this has been made long by
their necessity sharpened wits. Of cereals,
rice Is the most important occupying
more than half the titled area in summer;
barley, millet, wheat, rye, and corn rank
next in the quantity produced There
are said to be some 250 varieties of rice
seed hulled bushel weight siXty-two and
and a half to sixty five, and it contains
almost ninety per cent of starch. The
millet is 90 to 63 per cent. starch and
sugar, IL to ID per cent heterogeneous mat
ter, and about 81 per cent of nutriment
In all, being almost equal to the best
American wheat. Buckwheat, containing
81 to So per cent. of nutriment is also
grown largely on the lighter soils.
Beans and peas are more extensively
cultivated In Japan than. anywhere else,
and there are over forty varieties.
One-the soy bean or Nirva mume
contains 90 per cent. fat and
so of heterogeneous matter, starch,
and sugar, and closely approaches
meat both in composition and in its action
on the body. The sweet potato. being
very prolific and cheap, ranks next to rice
unpOTlduCet lOyOUOJVOO IuSnCIo bG1uS
the last reported production. A large
white radish, called daikOn, growing up
to yard in length and fourteen pounds
In weight, is a very common and popular
food, but the common potato is little used
by the Ialives. 4 surprisingly large list
of wild plants and sea-weeds is utilized as
food
"The place of sugar is considerably sup.
piled by a preparation made from mil
let or rice and matted barley, the
starch of the rice or millet being con-
Verted by the malt and the product vary
Ing from thick sugar or honey up to hard
candy, being cheap and in large conSump-.
ton. Sauce, So called enters very largely
into use with food plants; its name IS
shoyu known to us as soy. The kind
almost exclusively used is made from
wheat and the shoyu bean ground in equal
parts 1t is boiled and steamed, then left
to ferment; after being then dried in
the sun it is allowed to stand
awhile in a cask of salt water, is then
strained and is ready for use, the refuse
being fed to cattle. Its flavor is pleasant,
and Il is said to be the basis of most Of
the celebrated sauces put up in England.
"The proof of the pudding being in the
eating, it is interesting to note the testi
mony that the JapaneSe-a race of good
proportion, physique and strength, whose
comforts are much less, and whose
exposure is much greater than in case of
western nations-live an average life, in
length and health fully up to that of the
European or American with a table ex.
penditure of not more than One-sixth or
one-se enth that of the latter.