Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-08-16
IN CENTRAL AMERICA.
4 TRAVELLERS TROUBLES IN THE
CULINARY DEPARTMENT.
The Cook and Her 'Gift"-Hashes With
out Number at the Eotels-s1San Juans"
InnuIaerabie-A Guatemala Kitchen.
Coffee and Chocolate.

out Number at the Eotels-''San Juans''
/ Coffee and Chocolate.
It is said that he who comes to Central
! America and relishes the '-tortilla" viii
remain IN the country, and he who does
not viii leave. From my own experience
/ with the corn cake, have concluded that
( the emigrants who settled must have
/ been very hungry The Central Ameri-
can cook is usually an Indian woman, who
can boil eggs and cook rice She has
heard Of such things as sauces, and If
+ she has her OWL way land she generally
/ has) she never lets any meat go to the
/ table unless swimming in a lardy gravy.
All the meat left from today which she
I does not give to her own family she cuts
/ into meat balls for tomorrow. At first
( one can stand them once a week, but
would Ike TO wager with any professional
quail eater that he couldn't meat ball it "
once day fer twenty days Cinnamon
is used 10 season or favor nearly every
/ dish, and the natives like it. Next TO
whisky think they Ike cinnamon
When you wish to engage cook there
is always enc who is ready TO come if you
viii advance her SIS or $50. This is
called an ''habilitacion it might just as
well be called gift. she describes her
self as an accomplished ''artiste," and
according to her own statement there
is nothing that she can't cook-untl she
tries. She brings you an excellent refer
enee from Sonora Dona So and So, who is
; probably anxious to get rid Of her. She
surprises you the FIRST morning with cot
fee made with lukewarm water, and eggs
as hard as rocks, but with q plate OF
smoking ''tortillas," which she likes her
self. The dinner is poorer, and having
by that time got fair start on meat, she
commences on meat balls. Many times a
day you think you will change cooks, but
the thought of that twenty dollar ''habil-
itacion" restraints you. As time rolls on
you see but two courses open to you,
either to sink into dyspeptic's grave or
let her go with the money, and any sane
man would let her go. It As lottery, in
which you pay for the chance Of drawing
a cook The prizes are even fewer than
IN ordinary lotteries; so avoid the specu-
lation, and have little less worry at a
hotel. The proprietor.then shoulders the
trouble, and he is fortunate man if it
be the excellence Of his table that assures
him guests, for too often the guest S
choice is one between evils.
This Of course does not apply TO the
hotels Of the largest cities, such as Qua
temala, which are excellent, but il does
refer to some, which are not specified, as
| may want to return to them some day.
A roast is never seen except in some Of
the newer and larger hotels. There are
fries and stews and hashes without num-
Der. The "olla podrida" is dish made
of everything eatable that might other
wise spoil. A Spanish dictionary says it
is "a dish composed of different sorts of
meats and vegetables boiled together"
but I stick TO my definition Meat, fish,
sausage, prunes, raisins, onions, cabbage
and every other vegetable that may be on
hand is put into the pot to boil, and the
result is not SO bad as when the cooks
attention is conferred on one particular
article, and in the 'fpodrida" the different
constituents may be said to get off easy"
with only share of her attention.
What would a New England house
keeper say if she saw one Of these
kitchensl A raised trench holds char
coal fire, and on this stand the pots and
kettles The light enters only at one
door; there is no outlet for smoke. and
the accumulation of years has formed
layers Of SCOT on the rafters and walls,
and I cannot find it in my heart to blame
the poor cooks if flies do form constitu-
ent of every dish.
When the traveller is directed to 60 to
the town of San Juan he cannot always
be sure that he will reach the right one.
IN a radius Of fifty miles one may find
three or four San Juars, and so numerous
are they that these towns are given sur
names, such as San Juan de los Leprosos,
San Juan Ostuncalco, San Juan de Sacate-
pequez, etc. So it is with the name Dor
Juan Leaving home, where Don Juan"
may be prohibited reading, one may re-
tain remembrance Of the name inspiring
him with en- avoidance Of il, but this feel
ing soon wears away in a country where
Tiers are more Don Juans than there are
colonels south of Mason and Dixon's line.
How much more attractive Bryon's title
than had he used its equal, the plain
English "Johnl'
Strangers visiting the coffee growing
country soon perceive that they drink
more coffee than the natives. There is
an unusually delicious flavor and aroma
to the Guatemala coffee, which is not due
alone to its preparation, because the
French or drip" coffee Is universally
used. II is not made for each meal as In
private residences in the United States,
but an intensely strong essence is OBJ
tanned by pouring little boiling water
through large quantity Of ground cof-
fee. About one-half OF an inch Of the es-
sence is poured into the bottom Of an or
binary coffee cup, which is then filed
with hot milk, producing a better drink
than had more water been used, and, IL
deed, it is the custom in so1,e families to
use 10 water. but 70 pour boiling
milk through the ground coffee A
native woman for 81 viii manu-
facture from the 'cac1o" berry ten
pounds of chocolate II day. The berry
is roasted with great care il removing the
outside shell, because the slightest over
burning ruins tbs favor CT the chocolate
The meat while warm is ground between
stones with the proper quantities OF sugar,
vanilla and cinnamon. When reduced to
q pulp little ''schote" a red vegetable)
is added, which gives q brown color to
the almost black 'cacao' Of this country.
The mixture is then placed in thin layers
between sheets OF ''petate native mat
ting) and beaten fat with clubs. On cooi-
ing it acquires the brittieness Of chocolate
and is then ready 70 De eaten This is 3
crude way Of making chocolate, and. not
outstanding the superiority Of the Guate
mala ''cacao, the French product, due to
its excellent manipulation. far sUrpasses
il IN richness and delieacy.-Guateuala
Cor. New York Times.
The cs6MEN OF PARIS.