The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-03-04
EPlCTREAN TIp-BITS.
A MODERN DIET OF WORMS DOWN
IN MEXICO.
Eggs of Mosquitoes - Systematic
Method OF Collecting Peculiarly
NeNiesn fr"d'st-A Danger.

IN STRONG contrast Ia the tes.lylti,., wa,
the >sene We were callel rext morninS I.
witness. \ sound of weeping and ~ailin.
I hastily summoned the family trom the cas-,
10 the cottage OF one Of ths teaantry. where
the grim reaper came In the twiliyb, Of ths
morning and had smittea the firs. born
The victim Was iu,ty. handsome Young
fellow, who had been amonss, the mos, in,
defatiSable daarers the previous evening;
and now, invested With the strange dignity
Of death, he l"oked like an Apollo in brou,e
Gazing int" bis caim face thoaSht ''Gais
finger tou'hsi him, AMI h. slept" hut later
inv, st,satioa proved that death resulted
from more pr,~aie cause, VIZ, fnan eating
too many musquito's egxS
the GREATEST ~ pElICACiLs
\ kind Of griddle cakes callsi tor,lt.aS
made from the eggs 81 = marshhy, are con.
siier.I thu greatest Of delicaei,s by these
des,s n iants Of the MontezumaS No doubt
it is an inherited taste-a relic If the ,iays
when their Nagran, ancestors prowlsL
around the margins Of the salt lake. that
once iill~l the valley Of Mcxl,o, sutsisting
Oh flies, eraSshoppsrs, frogs. ta'lrol,s aud
salanian'iers Spanish history speaks u
hrea,i made b, the early Mexirsns from thu
ess> II the axaycatl IAhuatlc Mexnan,,
the slime that Is p,d 10 ,ia,, in
the markets Thomas Gage OILS
monk, who vi,ital this COUNTRY IN
l,25, writes about 1t u, follows.
THE Indians gathered much u these eggs
ami kept them in hesp,, ami ma,ie thereof
cakes. like unto brirktat> And
they did eat this meal with US good st,nlach
As We eat ,hcee, Yea, and they hold opinion
that the scum II fatn ~ of the waters is tho
cause that such "a numlar ~ fowl coaleth to
the lake. which in the winter sAson il
infinite
The Indians have u systematic method Il
this peculiarly Mexican product,
which is found in greatest profu,ion upon
the five nlorr shallow lakes near the city VI
Mexico They plant bundles of reeds few
feet apar, With their tops sticking on; II
the water Here the insects deposit their
egg> in incredible quantities, 81 that the
PUSHES are soon loaded with them, rllnginx
together in great balls, heapd one above nh.
other. Then the hunehc, " reeds are care
fully removed from the water, shaken over
. shect AMI dtls s,tel ~ before Ia collect.
fresh supply. The eggs ARE compressed mo
paste, sometimes niSel With "A little corn
meal or the eggs of fowls, and form staple
article Of Indian diet particularly during
Lent. We are tol. that the ro,l,I,listadores
found them exceedingly palatAble, but were
obliged 10 partake siaringly bsealiG u their
swelling propertirs-a danger not disOv.
red until several doughty crusaders hal
turned up their toes 10 the iais' rom this
gnoble cause
NARiOrs TEMPTING riD-, =
Yellowish worms, callcsl Vaai, the larvae
II the axyacatl, are also eagerly sought ~
id.b,ts and prepared for tho table In yari. |
MS ways The insects ARE about ths sise VI |
horefy AMI their eggs resemble fine !
ish-roe. Frequently tho flies themselves
ire pounded into paste AMI boiled In corn
l,isks, AMI thus eaten. Both this mixturs
md the cakes find ready sale, and look M
cnpting as many Of tho mcsses one en-.
o,inters here, but as 10 their flavor ! can
lot testify from experimental knowledge.
he word axayacatl signifies water face and
) the name AMI symt 81 OF the sixth king
4 Mexico, who reign.4l here exactly ~
ears ago
A hibiscus wntcr lizard ahnun,is in the
ishtS salt lake Texcoco. and il still ~
ayerly sought for food rs In the days whom
'ortez was Obliged to subsis. his army upon
|. II is called aAoiotl, pronounced ali h0-
Dtl. and is batrachian Of the aInblystoIna
ypc Of salanander, resembling q fish with
vebled fct and fiat tail II IL about ten
nchcs long, spotted black and white In color,
With broad cartalingenous tongue and
ingular gills that resemble feathers, Tires
n each side IT the head II, flesh Is white,
Ike that Of an eel, and Is said toll Ivory
nj wholesome Ths Indians boil them IN
orn h,isks-of cons, without taking the
rouble to wash or clean them-ani are
brewer Offering them for sale on tho streets
7 thrllsting them between the bars Of your
'indOw. Many times have Betsy and
ought them, being determined while In
.ome to 10 rs thu Romans but when it
anne to eating them. one look has always
rcn sufficient to unscrew our courage from
he sticking point Fannie D. Ward in
'ansas 'ity journal