The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1892-01-08
A CHlNAMAN AT DINNER
THE FOOD HE EATS AND HOW HF
TAKES 1T.

Dinner Begins With Tca-Favorite
Viapds--A Great Variety of Vege
tabies--Unpleasant Dainties.
A Chinese dinner begins, as we would
think, at the wrong end first. AS the
first course we were served with tea in
dainty little China cups. The second
course c. insisted of small dishes of water.
melon seeds. These are favorite deli
cacy among the Chinese. Next came
sliced oranges, served in individual
dishes. The oranges were small aud
very sweet and juicy. The fourth course
was the dinner proper and contained the
substantials. Rice was the principal
Wand and was served in a large center
dish, each person being given bowl.
There were several smaller dishes Of diff
fercnt kinds Of meats and vegetables to
eat with the rice, such as duck meat,
pork, mutton aud curry, bean curd,
stringed cocOanut, etc. This course
completed our dinner, since we did not
partakc of the rice wine with which the
Chinese frequently end their meals.
Rice is the Chinaman's staff of life and
forms the principal article of diet
throughout the country. 1t is cooked
stcaming in n basket or sieve suspended
over shallow iron kettle partly filled
with water. The other articles of food
are cooked in the same way and at the
same time, as many rs four or five
steamers being fitted nicely over each
other and covered to keep in the steam,
which the water bc'ow supplies to all at
once. Baked bread is not used; neither
is milk, butter nor cheese. At first it
seemed strange to me to sit down to a
meal at which these familiar dishes were
lacking.
Perhaps the greatest variety in the
Chinese bill of fare is found in the
vegetables, aud certainly much of their
agriculture consists in raising them.
Bean curd or bean jam, such as we had
at The hotel dinner, is made by
boiling and grinding black beans
aud mixing tho -four with water,
gypsum and turmrric. There are
twenty or more kinds OF beans aud peas
raised in China and they are prepared /
for food in many different ways. Cab
bage, broccoli, kalc, cauliilower, crcss,
colcwort, lettuce, SOW thistle, spluach,1
celery, dandcliop, succoiy, sweet basil !,
ginger, mustard, radishes, artemisia,
amaranthus, tacca, pig weed, burslaue,
shepherds purse, clover, garlIcs, lecksr
onions, scallions, ailantus aud chivcs are
scme of the principal greens, many of
them decidedly odorifcrous during cook
ing and after eating. Carrots, gourds,
squashcs, cucumbers, watcrmclons, to.
matoes, turnips, radishcs, briujals,
pumpkins aud okers may be named as
most common among the score or moro
garden vegetables. Sweet potatoes ara
very plentiful. The Irish potato has
been grown for good many years, but
has not come into general use among the
| people. Fruits of most varieties arc,
abundant all the year, oranges being thcj
most common.
The few puppies and kittens that arc
sold for the table are fed on a diet OF rice
before hand. Rats may be eaten in some
few cases; in fact believe saw II string
of dried rats banging in market in
Canton, but they arc neither common nor
cheap, and ought not to be considered u
distinctive part OF Chinese diet any more
than frogs legs and snails should be OF
American diet. Birdsucst soup is eaten
/
| 1t is very expensive, costing II dollar an
ounce. l was fortunate enough to taste
some once, and Thought it the most deli
cious soup had ever eaten. SharSs'
| fins are also eaten now and then by
| epicures.
At frequent intervals along the streets
in the city there are what might be
called restaurants, right out into the
street. The keeper may be seen squat.
ting on the stone pavement on low
stool. He has little eartlcn furnace,
or "fungelow," on which he cooks
various kinds Of food. On low counter
by his side are trays of food aud in front
Of the counter are stools for customers.
The Chinese generally have only two
meals day, breakfast about ninc or ten
o'clock i'll the morning and dinner al
four or five in the afternoon. Husband
and wife seldom eat together, and never
do so when strangers or guests are pres
ent. The females eat by themselves,
after the men have flushed. The rice is
placed in large dish in the centre oi
the table end each person helps himself,
filling his bowl by means Of II ladle or
large spoon. He then holds his bowl i'll
his left hand near the Cain, aud pushes
the rice into his mouth by means Of two
chop-sticks, both held between the
thumb and the fore and middle fingers
of the right hand. Knives and forks are
not used at meals. Whenever Il bit OF
fish or vegetable is wanted, it is selected
from the common dish and conveyed t,
the mouth by the use of the chop-sticks.
Tile Voice.