The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1886-03-12
WHAT CHlNAMEN EAT.
All the Kingdoms of Mature Ran
sacked to Provide Them
with Food.

with Food.
The Art Of Cookery in the 0rient-Some
Queer Dishes that are Oonoooted.
The Use Of Tea.
The proportion of animal food con-
sumed is probably smaller among the
Chinese than other nations in the same
latitude. says writer in the Glasgow
Herald. Rice in the south, maize, mil
let and wheat in the north, furnish the
cereal food. The first emphatically is
the staff Of life, and is considered indis-
pensable all over the land. It is thor
oughly cooked without forming pasty
mass. as istoo oftenthe case with us. The
diet is sufficiently varied, wholesome
and we'll cooked. Much vegetable oil
is used in its preparation, which makes
It unpalatable, as rule, to Europeans
until accustomed to it. There are nu-
merous alliaceous plants introduced to
favor them, which Europeans find OBJ
jectionable by reason of their strong
odor. italian millet or canary-seed
furnishes large amount of nutritious
cereal food in the north. The flour is
yellow and sweet, and might with ad-
vantage be imported into this country,
and in our diet, alternated with oat-
meal. Its cultivation is easy, and it's
prolific crop (ten thousand-fold) makes
up for the smallness of the seeds. The
Chinese have long list of culinary
vegetables, and much of their agricul-
ture consists in rearing them. More
than twenty different sorts of peas and
beans are cultivated, and occupy the
largest part of the kitchen garden.
Soy, used as universal condiment in
stead of butter and jam, is made from
beans. Bcan-curd takes the place of
cheese, gypsum being employed to pre-
cipitatc casein of tho beans. The con-
sumption of cabbage, cress. and crucif-
rous plants is enormous. A great vari-
ETY. of modes arc adopted for cooking,
preserving, and improving them. The
names of plants of which their leaves
and stems are employed are legion, and
furnish green leaves for Chinese tables.
Garlic, onions, lceks, and others of this
class are eaten by all classes, detected
upon all persons, and smclt in all
rooms where they are eating Or cook
ing. The varietyof cucurbitaceous plants
extends to nearly twenty that are cul-
tivated among garden vegetables. Sew
eral aquatic plants increase the list,
among which tho lotus deserves special
notice. and which covers and beautilies
the lakes and marshes. Every part of
this plant-rOots, stem, seed, c-is
turned to account; arrowroot is made
from it. Water chcstnuts are extensive
| ly consumed. The sweet potato is the
most common tuber. The Irish potato
is not eaten except on the borders of
Mongolia. 1t is considered food only
fit for famine periods. The catalogue
of fruits is indeed formidable. Grapes
arc plentiful in the north, and are pre-
served all the year around. Among
common nuts are the chestnut, walnut
and ground nut. The first and last are
largely eaten. The former, roasted or
used as meal in soup, forms q valuable
and nourishing food. The juiube is
largely grown, and eaten in dumplings,
etc. Preserved fruits are common.
Ginger, lotus roots, bamboo shoots, and
even the common potato and other veg
etables are thus prepared for export as
well as for domestic use. The Chinese
consume enormous quantities of pickles,
cabbages, onions. turnips, etc. Barring
vinegar and cayenne. which are largely
used, spices are not in great demand.
Oils and fats are in universal use for
cooking. Lard, castor, sesamum, and
groundnut oil are all employed in domes-
tic and culinary purposes. The Chinese
have no butter, milk, or cheese. They
have no cattle except for agricultural
purposes, which has made them compar-
ativcly dear, and therefore meat from
this source has fallen into disuse except
among the Mongols and Manchus. The
European is dissatisfied with meal
with neither bread, butter, nor milk,
and he is disgustcd with the oily and
alliaceous 'stews set before him. The
Chinese would be equally shocked at the
cheese we sometimes eat, which can al
most walk. Women's milk is sold on
the streets in some cities for the susten-
ance of infants and old people, it being
believed peculiarly nourishing to aged
persons. Sugar is not SO largely used
as by us, and it is both dirty and dear.
1t is somewhat largely used in cakes.
There is great craving for saccharine
matter for Its supposed steadying action
on the heart. The tobacco is very mild
and smoked frequently through water
cigars. Snuff is largely used, by the Of
ficial classes especially, and WIS intro
duced by the French Jesuits. The sign
Of snuff shop is the feur-de-lis Of
France. The common beverage is tea.
Our sitting down to q tea meal seems
strange to them, and they cannot under
stand our spelling the beverage by max
ing it 80 strong, black, and adding sugar
and milk. Cold water is seldom drank.
Cold liquors of any kind are not con-
sidered wholesome. The people boil all
their water, and this makes them care
less and independent as to its source.
Coffee, chocolate, and cocoa are un-
| known, as are also beer, cider, porter.
wine, brandy, etc. They have coarse
fiery spirit called samsboo, distilled
from sorghum, and mild wine fer
mented from rice, which is drank hot.
The badness, want of fragrance, and
paucity Of kinds of spirituous liquors
have had something to do in keeping
them sober. They eat larger variety
Of meats than the people of other coun-
tries, and at the same 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 prcju-
dice against killing has had powerful
effect in restraining the flesh eating
propensities of the people. Mutton, ex-
cept in the extreme north, bordering on
! the lofty grass plateau of Mongolia, is
dear and poor. There is large Mo
hammedan population in the north.
The flesh of the buffalo and goat are
| still less used. Pork ia the nrincipal