The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1886-04-17


NOUS Garlic, onions. leeks and others Of this
class are eaten by all classes, detected upon
oil persons and smelt in all rooms where they
are eating or cooking Tbs variety OF cucur-
! bitaceous plants extends to nearly twenty
| that are cultivated among garden vegetables.
| Water chestnuts are extensively consumed.
The sweet potato is the most common tuber.
The irish potato is not eaten except on the.
| borders of Mongolia It is considered food
/ only fit for famine periods.
FRUITS AND NuTS-TEA AND SPIRITS
The catalogue Of fruits Is indeed formida-
bic. Grapes are plentiful In the north, and
are preserved all the year round Among
common nuts are the chestnut, walnut, and
| ground nut. TIE first and last are largely
| eaten. The former, roasted or used as. meal
| in soups forms valuable and nourishing
food The jujube is largely grown, and eaten
| in dumplings, etc. Preserved fruits arc COM
| mon. Ginger, LOTUS roots, bamboo shoots,
and even the common potato and other vege-
tables are thus prepared for export as well as
| domestic use.
| The Chinese have. no butter, milk, or
! cheese They have no cattle except for agrt-
| cultural purposes, which has made them com-
paratively dear, and therefore meat from this
source has fallen into dis,lse except among
/ is dissatisfied with meal with neither bread,
/ butter, nor milk, and he is disgusted with
/ the oily and alliaeeous stsws set before him.
| Tbs Chinese would be equally shocked at tho
I cheese We sometimes eat, which can almost
| walk Women's milk is sold on the streets in
| some cities for the s,lstenance Of infants and
| old people. it being believed peculiarly nour-s
! ishiIg to ats per
The common beverage 10 tea. Our sitting
down to a tsa meal seems strange to them,
and they can not 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 constant restora-
tive beverage during the day taken very
weak and hardly allowed any time to inftss.
Hot water is largely drank, and the good ef-
fects Of this custom are worthy Of trial by
! u.s. The mouth is rinsed with hot water or
tea after each meal Cold water is seldom
drank. Cold liquids Of any kind are not con-
sidered wholesome The people boil all their
water, and this renders them careless and In
dependent as to its source. Coffee, chocolate,
and cocoa are unknown, as are also beer,
cider, porter, wine, brandy, etc. They have
a coarse fiery spirit called samsboo, distilled
from sorghum, and mild wine fermented
from rice, which is drank hot. Tho badness,
want of fragrance, and paucity Of kinds Of
spicituous liquors have had something to do
in keeping them sober.
FLEsH-EATING-EIsf ANn INSECTS.
! The Chinese eat a larger variety Of meats.
than tae people of ether countries, and at the
| senle time very little land is appropriated 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 powerful effect in
| restraining the aesi-eating p.opensities Of the
| people. Mutton, except in the extreme north,
bordering on the lofty grass plateau OF Mon
! ,,olia, is dear and poor. There is large Mo-
tiammedan population In the north. The flesh
of the buffalo and goat are still less used. Pork
Is the principal meat consumed and surpesses
all others, and no meat can be raised so eco
nomicaily.
The Chinese are perfectly om,,ivorous with
respect to Aquatic production. Here nothing
comes aniss. All waters are vexed with their
! fisheries. Every possible way of catching
and rearing fisa is practieed. Fish are usually
/ sold alive in tubs in the streets, so as
to guarantee their freshness. All sorts
Of crabs, prawns and shrimps are very
largely eaten, either fresh or simply
dried in the sun. Both salt and
fresh water shell-fish arc abundant. There is
much insect food consumed, such as locusts,
grasshoppers, grubs, and silk worms. We
can not mention all the different things ths
people eat, the products Of earth, air, and
sea. The gelatinous birds nests are well
known. Sharks frs and fish maws are
boiled into gelatincus soups that are both
nourish;ns and palatable, and different parts
OF anisna.. are sought after as delicacies.
To sum up, letus gealeralize by saying that
the everyday ordinary food Of the Chinese "
plain, staple, light, stimulating, and
cheap. The people are most frugal and
economical, making use of substances which
would meet with culinary contempt in our
country. A poor man in Glasgow would
starve on the food which keeps a poor Chine
plsn and his family. All the kingdoms OF
nature have been rsnsacked to provide food
for this remarkable people. Everything
that lives and grows from the animal and
vegetable world is laid uaGer contribution. n.---
Cor. Glasgow Herald.
rf.