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

Dinner Begins With Tca-Favorite
Viapds--A Great Variety of Vege
tables Unpleasant. Ociuties.
A Chinese dinner begins, as we would
think, at the wrong end first. As the
6rst course we were served with tea in
dainty little China cups. The second
course C. assisted 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 and
very sweet and juicy. The fourth course
was the dinner proper and contained the
substantials. Rice was the principal
Wand and was served in 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
paItakc of the rice wine with which the
Chinese frequently cnd their meals.
Rice is the Chnaman's staff of life and
forms the principal article of diet
throughout the country. 1t is cooked
steaming in basket or sieve suspended
over II shallow iron kettle partly filled
with water. The other articles of food
are cooked in the same way and at the
same time, rs many rs four or five
steamers being fitted nicely over each
other and covered to keep in the steam,
which the water be ow supplies to all at
4
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 rs we had
Mt the hotel dinner, is made by
boiling and grinding black beans
aud mixing the ilour with water,
gypsum and turmrric There are
twenty or more kinds OF beans auI peas
raised in China and they are prepared
for food in many different ways. Cab
bage, broccoli, kalc, cauliilowcr, crcss,
colewort, lettuce, SOW thistle, spluach, );
celery, dandclion, succoiy, sweet basil,
ginger, mustard, radishes, artomisia,
amaranthus, tacca, pig weed, burslauc,
shepherds purse, clover, garllcs, lccksr
onions, scallions, ailantus and chivcs are
seine OF the principal greens, many of,
them decidedly odorifcrous during cook i
lug and after eating. Carrots, gourds,
squashcs, cucumbcrs, watcrnclons, to.
,,i, ft,r ItIl Gl,ns l,rn 10
pumpkins and okcrs may be named ai
most common among the score or moro
garden vegetables. Sweet potatoes are
very plentiful. The Irish potato has
been grown for Il good many years, bu,
has not come into general use among the
people. Fruits OF most varieties are
abundant ail the year, oranges being the
most common.
The few puppies and kittens that arc
sold for the table are fcl on Il diet Of rice
before hand. Rats may be eaten in some
few cases; in fact believe saw string
Of dried rats banging in Il market Ill
Canton, but they arc neither common nor
cheap, and ought not to be considered a
distinctive part of Chinese diet any more
than frogs legs and snails should be ol
American diet. Birdsucst soup is eaten
occasionally by those who can afford it.
1t is very expensive, costins; dollar ;;n
ounce. | was fortunate enough to taste
some once, and Thought it the most deli
cious soup | had ever eaten. Sharhs
fins are also eaten ROW and then by
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