Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-07-30
ORIENTAL DINING.
A Turkish Meal Served by 0enu.
Inc Egyptians
Some Of the Toothsome Deuc9caes Witch
Constitute Che Regulation Fare
Of the Mohammedan

On Washington street, that great
street full of foreign markets, there is q
Turkish restaurant, says the New York
Recorder. The entrance is not inviting
and the arrangements inside are q trihe
the worse for wear. The divans Of red
velvet are not very clean but the carpets
are genuine Turkish and the walters
are not American colored men but gem
uine Egyptian blacks. They speak
Arabic and Turkish and very little Eng
lish, Though they triAe with French.
You ask for dinner. A quaint oriental
bottle with designs in gold. red and
blue, together with tiny liquor glass
similarly ornamented. was brought
upon bronze tray and placed upon an
octagon ball table beside the low divan
upon which you have curled yourself.
The magic word '.rali' Is all that Is
uttered and you help yourself to a glass
of the Mohammedan's favorite aniseed
smelling bitters to give you an appetite
and to help you digest what Is coming.
A pure white cloth is laid on the carpet
in front Of you and a bowl OF tepid
water scented with roses and towel
from the next dinner appliances
Then comes plate after plate Of swest-
meats arranged in front of you, to
gether with all sorts Of dried fruit.
Everything Is candied The names Cd
some are interesting, though somewhat
bewildering. Rahat lakhoun, hadji
belkir lokoom, loz helva tahin helva,
keafte (grapes), abdil-leziz "a very nu.
tritious African fruit), tout (mulber.
RESI-, kishnish, fousdonk. green pis.
tache. almonds, figs, walnuts In q sor,
Of paste, apricots in pastilles, and Sui.
tana raisins. But you don't begin yet
There Is the piece de resistance, the
pf1au, q sort of stew made Of mutton
onions and rice. Koushkousch, On
caushcousch, as it is pronounced by diff
ferent dialects, is brought over to this
country ready prepared to make this
really delicious dish. None but an OH
entail can make 1t properly. The ricl
gravy In which are found the tender
morse1s Of meat favored with invisible
onions sends up a most savory smell
and the white, mealy rice which sur.
rounds the whole counteracts the ex
treme richness. Then there are beans
and peas and 1antis Ia species Of lenti)
Now comes the glut Of sweetmeats
and after or with them the black tea o.
coffee In tiny cups and very strong,
and the few delicious whfffs from 6
narghile or hubble-bubble pipe, or from
the long chibouk, taken while you lie
back sleepily on the soft pillows of the
dtvan- Now, too, you may indulge IL
a bottle of Cyprus or Salonican wine
| for wine must be taken after and no
during meals.
The atmosphere of the restaurant 1.
not refreshing, but you get accustomed
| to it, and before you are half waN
through the rich and almost voluptuou.
meal you quite understand why Turks
are SO fat and SO easy going. why they
love to sit and dream and smoke and
say nothing; why opinion is not neces
sary to them; why they are lymphati,
and lazy, and why they can never b.
reused to push and struggle and com
pete with occidentals. Their very mod,
of living and feeding is conducive to /.
happy-go-luclky laziness which onl,
wakes up to drive a bargain or to hgh,
| for that heaven which their religion
teaches them is sure to be the final 10
Of every man who falls in battle wit
his face to the foe.