Morning journal and courier., 1886-09-14
Chinese Diet.

| Correspondence of the Glasgow Herad.l l The Chinese have no butter, milk o1
 ! cheese. They have no cattle except for agri-
 l cultural purposes, which has made them
 comparatively dear, and therefore meat from
 l this source has fallen into disuse except
 ] among the Mongols and Manchus. The Flu
 l ropean is dissatisfied with a meal with neith.
 CT bread, butter nor milk, and he is disgust. l ed with the oily and alliaceous stews set be-
 1 fore him. The Chinese would be equally 1 shocked at the cheese we sometimes eat l which can almost walk. Women's milk is sold on the streets in some cities for the sus- tenance of infants and old people, it being l believed peculiarly nourishing to aged per sons.
 The common beverage is tea. Our sitting down to tea meal seems strange to them and they cannot understand our spelling the beverage by making it so strong, black and adding sugar and milk Tea is never in- dulged in as meal-it is a constant restora- tive beverage during the day taken very l weak and hardly allowed any time to infuse. Hot water is largely drank, and the good eff fects of this custom are worthy of trial by us. The mouth is rinsed with hot water or tea after each meal. Cold water is seldom drank. Cold liquids of any kind are not COQS1O6I6Q WQOl6SOm6. IQ6 p6Opl6 DOH all their water and this renders them careless and independent as to it's source.
 The Chinese eat larger variety of meats than the people of other countries, and at the same time very little land is appropria- ted to rearing animals for food. Beef is only eaten, when it can be had, by the very lowest classes. No respectable person eats so useful and sacred an animal. Buddhistic prejudice against killing has had 8 powerful effect in restraining the flesh-eating propen- sities of the people. Mutton, except in the extreme north, bordering on the lofty grass plateau of Mongolia, is dear and poor. There is large Mohammedan population in the north. The flesh of the buffalo and goat are still less used. Pork is the principal meat consumed and surpasses all others, and no meat can be raised so economically.
 l The Chinese are perfectly omnivorous with | respect to aquatic production. Here nothing | comes amiss. All waters are vexed with l their fisheries. Every possible way of catch l ing and rearing fish is practiced. Fish are
 usually sold alive in tubs in the streets so as 1 to guarantee their freshness All eorts of 1 crabs, prawns and shrimps very largely eaten, either fresh or simply dried in the sun. Both salt and fresh water shell fish are abundant. There is much insect food con-
 sumed, such as locusts, grasshoppqrs, grubs and silk worms. We cannot mention all the different things the people eat, the products of earth, air and sea. The gelatinous birds nests are we'll known. Sharks fins and fish l maws are boiled into gelatinous soups that are both nouriehing and palatable, and diff ferent parts of animals are sought after as delicacies
 To sum up let us generalize by saying that the everyday ordinary food of the Chinese is plain, simple, light, non-stimulatiug and cheap. All the kingdoms of nature have
 been ransacked to provide food for this re-
 markable people Everything that lives and grows from the animal and vegetable world is laid under contribution.