Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1889-12-05
A RoUMANIAN DINNER.
Strange Food, Wild Music and Beau
tiful Women.

The Roumanian food is as strange as
the melodies, writes Paris correspond
ent of the Philadelphia Telegraph.
When, for instance, at the invitation OF
several distinguish d Roumanlans, /
dined at the Rouman an restaurant built
in the exhibition, [ was first Offered, as
an appetizer, u glass OF tzulca. This Is
an alcohol made from plums. 1t is lik'
the Hungarian slivoche, but is less alco-
holic, and has not so strong q medicinal
flavor. Served in small, rough lit G
glass bottles, conta n.ng about two
liquor glasses full, you are supposed to
drink from tie bottle ard to empty the
bottle. If a glass is given, this is a con
cession to Wes.e II prejudices. After
having duly fortified myself with this
strange but potent decoction, ] WAS in
trodnced to the mysteries of q Rouman-
ian soup. This was made with Wa e. i'll
which had been steered forseveral days
the bran of Indian con. When the
bran had fermented ard the wa er be-
come thoroughly scd, the liquid was
drawn off and used to stew lamb. Th s
acid lamb soup is, it aprens, very pop
ular in the East. 1t is certainly refresh
ing. Ipreferred, however, the vino alfe,
or light natural white wine, which leaves
a perfumed favor in the mouth, Though
it is such an ordinary wine that in Rou-
mania it sells for 5 to cents the litre.
Then we had some excellent stewed
chicken with paprika sauce, as in Hun
gary, and other dishes that did not seem
50 strange. In the middle OF it all,
however, | was brought, rs Il great treat,
q large basin full of curded sour milk.
To have obtaire this in Paris was
thought great triumph, and was told
L might now imagine myself in Rou-
mania. This L tried to do, though the
sour cream vas not vely inspiring, but |
succeeded to some extent when L looked
Mt the Roumania1 musicians with Their
white clolks and black braiding, and
listened to their wild music. This effolt
of Imagination, how ever, was still more
easy, and also more agreeable, whel |
allowed myself to contemplate three
Roumanian women who, in naive Dire S,
presided at high counter. Unlike
English bar-girls, they had nothing to
do. They could not even tlir', for the
simple reason tha5 they could only
speak Roumanian. Thy gay no orders
to the walters, they had no accounts to
keep, but they sat istlcssly, and occa-
sionally talked with one another, while
hundreds of eager, curious people
stared and stared at them. Outside the
restaurant, with their noses tlattened
against the glass window, pas sers peep,
ed in to have gratuitous g'ance ut
these strange things and ange foreign
people. 1 looked, too, and the mo |
looked the more L became reconciled to
Roumanian musicians, to TIE shrill
whistle of the fair flute player, TO the
sour soup, to the curded milk, and
thought only of the pale face, the large,
almond eyes, the regular features, tie
model lips and tech of these Rcumanian
beauties; teeth, indesd, so perfect and
so sound that they would lie the despair
of the dental profession. The dress WAS
white, covered with blue and rel en-
broidery, the jewe,ry of the oriental
style, large besmlrring of gold with
many coins, that clashel at every move
ment, and all this adorning n distin-
guished looking person of statresque
regularity in figure and feature. Cn the
whole, therefore, / preferred the Rou-
manian women to the Roumanian din
ner and the Roumanian music; net bat
that both the latter had their iradvantages
and their charms.