Morris tribune., 1888-08-15
IN CENTRAL AMERICA.
A TRAVELLERS TROUBLES m THE
CULINARY DEPARTMENT.

.
The Cook and Her "Gift"-Hashcs with
out Number ut the Hotels-''san Jnans"
Innumerable-A Guatemala Kitchen.
Coffee and Chocolate.
Il is said that he who comes TO Central
America and relishes the "tortilla" win
remain In the country, and he who does
not will leave. From nay ewn experience
weth the corn cake, have concluded that
the emigrants who settled must have
been very hungry. The Central h1ncri-
can cook Is usually an Indian weman, whs
can boil eggs and cook riec She hsB
heard Of such things as sauces. and II
she has her own way land she generally
has) she never lets any meat 10 be the
table unless swimming In lardy gravy.
All the meat left from today which she
does not give to her own family she cuts
Into meat balls for tomorrow. At frst
one cen stand them once week, but ]
would like to wager with any professional
quail eater that he couldn't ''meat ball it,
once Gay for twenty days. Cinnamon
is used TO season or flavor nearly every
dish, and the natives like 1t. Next to
whisky think they like cinnamon
When you wish to engage cook there
Is always one who Is ready to como II you
will advance her $15 or $40. This Is
called an "habilitacion" might just az
well be called q gift. She describes her.
self as an accomplished artistic" and
according to her own statement there
is nothing that she can't eook-untn she
tries. she brings you an excellent refer
ence from Sonora Dona 30 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 eggE
as hard as rocks, but with o 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 q
day you think you win change cooks, but
tho thought of that twenty dollar ''habf-
itacion" restraints you. As time rolls on
you see but two courses open to you,
either to sink into dyspeptic's grave OF
let her go with the money, and any sane
man would let her 60. It Is 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 q
hotel. The proprietor then shoulders the
trouble, and he Is fortunate man II it
be the excellence of his table that assures
him guests, for too often the guests
choice is one between evils.
This of course does not apply to the
hotels of the largest cities, such IS Qua
temala, which are excellent, but it 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 s'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, u
but 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 30 bad as when the cook q
attention is conferred on one particular
article, and In the "podrida" 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 cannot find it In my heart to blame
the Door cooks If flies do form q censtitu.
emit Of every dish. ...-..
When the traveller Is directed to 60 to
the town of San Juan he cannot always
L. .,,-. xh.k - Iii m~aeh tina ~ n,f o5NA
In q radius of fifty miles one may find
are they that these towns are given sur.
names, such as San Juan do los 1eprosos,
San Juan Ostuncalco, San Juan dc Sacate-
pcquez, etc. So 1t Is with the name Don
Juan. Leaving home, where "Don Juan
may DO prohibited reading, one may re-
tain a remembrance of the name inspiring
him with an avoidance Of it, but this feel
ing soon wears away in q country where
there 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 "John"
Strangers visiting the coffee growing
country soon perceive that. they drink
more coffee than the natives. There ID
to the Guatemala coffee, which Is not due
alone to it's preparation, because the
French or drip" coffee Is universally
used. It is not made for each meal as II
private residences in the United States,
but an intensely strong essence Is OBJ.
tanned BY pouring . little boiling waite,
through large quantity OF ground COT
fee. About one-half of an inch of the es.
l.. I'D ha&$ rf ~ nFa
binary coffee cup, which is then flled
with hot milk, producing q better drink
than had more water been used. and, In
deed, 1t is the custom in some families 10
use no water, but to pour boiling
milk through the ground coffee. A
native woman fer 81 will manu-
facture from the ''cacao" berry ten
pounds Of chocolate in day. The berry
Is roasted with great care In removing the
outside shell, because the slightest over.
burning ruins the flavor OF the chocolate,
The meat while warm Is ground between
stones with the proper quantities OF sugar,
vanilla and cinnamon. Whom reduced ia
Is added, which gives brown color to
The mixture is then placed in thin layers
between sheets of "petate" native mat
ting) and beaten fat with clubs. On cool.
ing it acquires the brittleness of chocolate
and is then ready to be eaten. This is Q
crude way Of making chocolate, and, not
withstanding the superiority Of the Guate-
mala s'cacao," the French product, due to
it's excellent manipulation, far surpasses
1t in richness and delicacy. Guatemala
Cor New York Times.
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