Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-11-30
WHAT CHINAMEN EAT.
AN AMERICAN DESCRIBES THE FEAST
OF A CELESTIAL.

Eating customs in China MR..
from Those in America-A C.r..
Gus Banquet-Rare Chinese DeIicae;.s
Chinese and Vegetables.
When we were seated a. the tabla =
1aintily attired slave girl furnished nc
WITH ivory chopsticks and asked ms for
our order. We called for a regular dinner
Nishlhg TO see just what the bouse sun
Pileu' "A chinese dinner begins. as wa
you'd thlnk, at the wrong end first Az
me hrst course we were served with re-. in
ihhty nttfe china cups. The second
curse consisted of small dis es of water
melon seeds. These are favorite delic.cv
among the Chinese. Next came sI;co5
oranges, served in individual dishes
The oranges were small and var,, s,,,oo.
ana juicy. The fourth course was the ain
Ter proper and contained the substantiaIs
rice was the principal Wand and was
served In large center dis each person
oelng given bowl. There were several
smaller dishes of different kinds of meats
ana vegetables to eat with til e rice, such az
Auch meat, pork, mutton curry, bean
;urd, strlnged cocoanut etc This course
competed our dinner, since we did not
partake OF the rice wine with which the
Chinese frequently end their meals.
hice is the Chinaman's staff of life and
iorms the principal article of diet througb-
Sut the country. 1t is cooked by steamino
N basket or sieve suspended over n shall
ow iron kettle partly filled with water
Inc other articles of food are cooked in
he same way and at the same time. AS
many as four or five steamers being fitted
nicely over each other and covered to keen
the steam, which the WAFER below sun
Plies to all at once. Baked bread is not
lsed; neither is milk, butter nor cheese.
Al nrst 1t seemed strange TO me to sit down
20 meal at which those familiar dishes
we're lacking.
WHAT CHINANTN Eat.
Perhaps the greatest variety in the Chi
1ese bill of fare Is found in he vegetables,
ana certainly much of their agriculture
consists IN raising them. Bean curd and
Oean Jam, such rs we had al the hotel din
1er, Is made by boiling and grinding black
beans and mixing the -four with water,
gypsum and turmeric. There are twenty
Or more kinds of beans and peas raised in
china, and they are prepared for food in
many different ways.
Cabbage, broccoli, kale, eau liflower, cress.
.olewort, lettuce, SOW tn stle. spinach.
celery, dande.ion, succory, sween basil.
ginger, mustard, radishes, artemisia, anna
'anthus, tacct. pig weed, burslaue shep-
herds purse, clover, garlic, leeks, onions,
'calll9ns, allaatus and chives are some of
The principal greens, many of them de-
hdedly odoriferous during cooking and
utter eating.
Carrots, eOurds, squashes, cucumbers,
Natermelons, tomatoes, turnips, radishes.
Drinjals, pumpkins and okers NAV be
named as most common among the score
Or more garden vegetables Sweet pota.
ioes are very plentiful. The Irish potato
has been grown for a good many years.
put has not come into general use among
The people. Fruits of most varieties are
abundant all the year, oranges being the
most common.
The few puppies and kittens that are
|old for the table are fed on diet of rice
beforehand, so their flesh is probably much
cleaner and more wholesome than the
will eating, mud wallowing hog that
orms so large a part of the food of our
own country. Rats may be eaten in some
lew Cases; in fact believe l saw string
II dried rats hanging in a market in Can
ION, but they are neither common nor
lheap, and oIght not to be considered a
distinctive part of Chinese diet any more
ihan frogs legs and snails should be of
American diet. Birds nest soup is eaten
occasionally by those who can afford it. IL
very expensive, costing a dollar an
ounce. | was fortunate enough to taste
lone once, and thought il was the most
delicious soup ! had ever eaten. Sharks
ms are also eaten now and then by cpl
lures.
CHINESE BANQUET.
At frequent intervals along the streets in
he city there are what MAY be called res