The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1885-07-29
THE COOK In THE ORIENT.
A CHIHAMAN WRITES ABOUT CHI
NESE FRUITS.
Fruits n ITaInstaY of Life I'm China
Odd Ways of Preparing Them


Odd ways of Preparing Them
The BOlO and Sai-chi.
From time immemorial fruits have
been a mainstay of life in China. Their
culture gives support to millions, and is
brought to perfection almost unknown
in the Occident. All of the kinds ia
miliar to Americans are everywhere
grown, so also, are the semi-tropical and
tropical; such as the orange, pineapple,
lemon, lime, citron, banana star fruit
guava, mangoe, tamarind, date, fig, and
shaddock. Beside these are long Sc
ries Of fruits indigenous to the East; the
Bolo, Dai-chi, Ma-tag, and a score of
others.
Fruits are more frequently cooked in
China than here. They enter into cakes,
tarts, pies, puddings, stuffing. They
are baked, roasted, fried, broiled, and
boiled. They are also dried, evaporated,
dessicated, smoked, picked, soused,
preserved, candied and made into jellies,
jams, and marmalades.
Among odd ways of preparing and
preserving them, is one in which fruit
sweetened to taste, is perforated with
cochineal stick, then wrapped in a
water-lily leaf, and then boiled in syrup.
The heat and moisture transfer the Grim
son color of the wood to the interior
flesh, while the lily-leaf stains the ex-
terror rich green, and at the same time,
penetrates it to a moderate depth with
its gelatinous or mucilaginous elements.
Fruits thus treated are put in large jars,
and sent over the world. Even when
opened, they resist fermentation for
weeks.
In the use of fruits, the Chinese do
not follow the Portuguese adage of
Golden at morn, silver at noon, and
lead at night, but on the contrary in
dulge to an extent that would astonish
physician of the old school. 1t is a
common sight in Mongolian home to
find the entire family devouring oranges,
bananas, and sugar cane, at midnight.
In the main, acid and sub-acid fruits are
preferred to all others.
The extremes to which fruit-culture is
carried on in China is we'll exemplified
! by the Bolo In wild state, the fruit,
| (Which grows from the trunk, and not
from the limbs of the Bolo tree), is not
much larger than an apple, and in shape,
| color, and interior construction resem-
bles an orange. Cultivation for centuries
has increased it in size until it weighs
from 100 to 200 pounds. AS it buds in
the spring, the fruit farmer builds under
and around it a strong bamboo basket,
which in turn is firmly attached to the
tree trunk. When mature, the fruit can
be easily broken into spherical sections.
similar to an orange. Its taste is very
rich and sweet, resembling, somewhat,
! that of Hackensack melon. The seeds
are small, almost rudimentary, and never
sprout. The tree is propagated by shoots
and gratis. The Bolo exerts fascina-
tion upon the Chinese small boy, similar
to that fabled to be exercised by the
watermelon upon the colored brother.
AS soon as it begins to ripen, guards are
stationed in the orchard, and there kept
until the last globe is gathered. The
enfant terrible in the East has one advan-
tage over his Ethiopian rival Once
| picked, he, or they-as it requires three
boys to properly do the business-may
carry off the fruit before the owners eyes.
A queer superstition among the farmers
! forbids recapture, or even unkind words
to the malefactors, on pain, it is sup
posed, of the blighting of the tree or or
chard the next season. The Bolo sells
| lOl tlOhl l,OOO " O,OUO Cdoll3 W 3OOO Ndol
being nearly equal to 81. 1t is sold to
peddlers and venders, who separate it
into its component sections. These num-
Der from 800 to 600, and are retailed ac-
cording to their size from five cash up
ward. Covered with leaves, the sections
remain sweet and fresh several days.
Another fruit (now beginning to ap,
pear in American markets) is the Sai-chi.
AS it grows it is the size and shape Of a
walnut, with a shell thinner than that of
the finest almond. Within is fresh
and luscious pulp that may be put half.
way between a strawberry and raisin
After being gathered, it slowly dies un-
til the pulp resembles a small date.
Thus far only the dried fruit has been
imported. It's success, however, indi-
Gates that the fresh fruit'would in short
time be extremely popular. The dried
are sold in American stores at forty cents
per pound, in Chinese stores at twenty
five, but in Canton and Hong Kong at
five to ten. Lai-chi has considerable
| hygienic value When fresh its action
is similar to that of figs or tamarinds,
dried to that Of prunes. An essential
principle is extracted from it by the
Chinese physicians and apothecaries, and
has long been u favorite remedy for
many complaints, - Wong ChiqoO, IN
the Cook.