The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1886-03-04
THE 3IAxuMs OF A CHINESE
GOURMAND.


carefully cultivated in China. and the
table has there, as elsewhere, played
an important part IN politics. litora-
ture. and ART 4 distinguished apostle
] Of this cult was certain Yuan Tsu-
tsai, who lived in the last century and
who seems TO have been the Samuel
Rogers of the day. for he cultivated
tho muses. in dilettante fashion. and
also COLLECTED around his hospitablc
boakX all the celebrities OF the time.
lie wassi7ginalls an official. but re-
tired into private life at the age Of 40.
and settled in 4 charming residence IN
the country, where no devoted himself
To literature. his garden. and the pleas
ures of society and the table. The
most eminent literary men of the day
sought his company; he wrote polished
verses. and was cpicurcan in his tastes.
His character was not wholly ire
proachable: but he lived until ne was
80 years OF age. and left behind him a
cookcry-book, in which he discussed
the subject of food and drink from Il
scientific and artistic point of view.
Parts OF this volume were recently
translated by the North China Asiatic
society in Shanghai, aud are thus rend-
cred accessible To English readers. His
maXims arc more polished ana more
ambitious than those OF the immortal
Mrs. Glasse, bat they are equally sensi-
bic and practical.
Cooks are declared TO be low "fel-
lows OF the baser sort, who must be
constantly scoldcd or rewarded. other
wise they dcterioratc sadly. Hence
Mr.. Yuan beStows on them some good
advice. They should keep the utensils
clean, and not use the same one Tor
two different things; they should not
slice bamboo-shoots with a knife which
has just been used 10 cut onions (from
which it would seem the minor ills OF
life are much the same all the world
oycr); they should know what should
be served with what, and the different
times required for cooking various
things, what is in season and what is
not, and they should allow nothing to
remain on the ire beyond its proper
time.
The food being cooked, the service is
the next subject that comes 10 be con-
sidered, and on this head some excel
lent counsel is given. Elegant food,
says the writer, is not so important as
elegant service. Everything on the
table should be scrupulously clean.
and the various dishes should be sent
| up in their proper order. For instance,
sailed meats should precede those of Il
milder flavor; thick fCod should pre-
cede thin ones, aud foods without
gravy should prccede those with gravy.
Five consecutive dishes should not be
all SALT this would tax the stomach too
severely. Three of the five should con-
tain either mustard or pepper to recov-
er the palate, just rs acid and sweet
things should be used 10 prevent the
palate from being dulled by too much
wine. When the dinner is cooked and
served, the rest remains with the din
ers, and to these Mr.. Yuan devotes
several chapters. His first maxim Isl:
Don't eat with your ear" in other
words, do not have whatever you have
heard is dainty. Remember, he
says, "that well-coohcd bean-curd is
much nicer than badly-cooked bird $
nest; and that sea-slugs, il not good,
are not equal 10 common bamboo
| shoots. The fowl. the pig, the fish ana
| the duck--these are the heroes of the
| dinner-table. Each has its character
istic flavor, aud each forms school
| by itself. Sea-slugs and birds nests
! are but their retainers, having nothing
of their own, but living, as it were, III
! other mems houses. That is. fish,
pork, and poultry form the backbone
of the banquet; the other delicacics are
merely to set off or improve these. 10
| illustrate this maxim he relates that he
was once invited TO "a banquet by GER
| tain official of his acquaintance, where
the rice-bowls were very large, and
| each held about four ounces of bird 8
nest, but quite tastoless. Somebody
began to say something in praise of the
| display, but Yuan laughed aud said:
FL came here to eat bird s-nest, not To
deal in it wholesale. Now. you might
deal in this, but you couldn't eat it.
So. what is the use of il all? IL only
makes show, it would be better to I'LL
your bowls with pearls, which would
cost more money. but this is not eat
ing" The philosopher was averse TO
display. he loved little dinners. An
| other maxim is, Don't eat with your
eyes" This is warning To hosts
against providing too many courses.
He frequently points out how the diff
ferent parts OF any given food are
adapted, and even essential, in order
to produce the best result from the
whole. I'VE know" he says, THAT
the yelk of an egg is richer than
the white, but he is fool who eats OBJ
ly yelks and throws away the whites. 1"
With regards TO vino he is very en-
phatic; Don't take wine too freely.
Only sober man knows right from
wrong, and it is the same with food.
1t has been wisely observed that Ian
guage fails 10 describe the delicate
auassccs of 1avors. How, then, should
q hsif-tipsy sot know anything about
thomp | have myself often seen two
men playing at guess fingers and
shoveling in their food the while as
though il were so much sawdust. sacri-
ficing everything to the enjoyment OF
wine. No, i say, food first and wine
afterward Thus we can enjoy both. "
He warns cooks against using hot
water dishes (Which have long been