The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-08-12

hcSIS arc DuilC Dy u KIND OF swallow on
high rocks by the seashorc, and the ma.
terial is secrctcd by glands inside the
birds bill think it was Huxley who
facetiously remarked that these birds
built their nests "all out of their own
hends a native recipe for making
the soup reads, with characteristic
vagueness, like this: ''ruko rs many
nests as aIe necessary, clean and pick
out the feathers, and boil in sufficient
water to make thin jelly. Pour this
over hard-boiled pigeons eggs, and float
on the top shreds of ham. Serve sweet
ened if desired"
Tho number of cdibles in China Is
legion, and their combinations are SIM
ply distrncting. The people have
regular intuition for cooking, and every
man. woman and child can prepare O
good meal out of the most meager sup
ply OF materials Swectmeats are eaten
by young and old. and one Gun scarcely
go anywhere without meeting a ven
dor of confectionery. Bright yellow
cakes Of rico and sugar are sold to chill
dren ut every street corner, and queer
tasting bonbons of bean flour, millct
seed or popped rice, candied seawecd,
melon rind and orange peel are eaten
In enormous quantities ut New Years
timo and other feasts. Every house
wife prepares once year an enor-
nous sweet loaf of buchwheat -four and
keeps it on hand to offer visitors with
tea 1t Is as heavy as lead and vii
famous compound, and, like the old
fashioned fruit cake of our grandmoth-
crs, lasts the year round, and it's up
pearonce upon special occasions is in
cvitablc.
Table etiquette such as would please
q Chinese host would shock and dis
gust ON American one Men keep on
their hats when eating, and it is quite
the proper capcr" to make as much
noise as possible in the process of mus
tication, for the more made the
greater is supposed TO be the enjoy
mcnt experienced Between courses q
basin and towel are passed around,
and the guests mop off the face and
wash the hands The more food
is consumed the better, for the
more the host is honored, and If it
seems necessary to refuse q second
helping the polite thing to say is: 10,
no, l dare not, for I'm afraid you
exercising his hospitality must press
his guests to eat, and the distressing
importantly with which one is urged
makes O foreigner feel very uncom-
Portable
Because elaborate dinner sets CONC
from China, it must not be supposed
that these are used by the natives
themselves They are manufactured
for foreign trade only. A native set
consists Of simply great number of
bowls of different sizes, colors and
shapes. chopsticks, and chinaware
spoons, about the size Ola dessertspoon,
with short, curved handles The chop
sticks are of silver, ivory or wood. and
are held in the hand much as we would
hold lead poncil. A very slight mo-
ton causes their tips to approximate,
and pieces OF food are easily grasped
by them, and they are only used in
grasping and showing, for Chinaman
can no moro eat liquids with them than
we can eat soup with fork. The dex-
terity with which they are used is rash
~ over-estimated, for food of semi
solid nature. such rs rice, is eaten by
placing the bowl TO the lips and push
ing the contents into the mouth with
the sticks, and one viewing family of
the best cultured eating meal in tho
most approved fashion thinks it my
thing but dainty process
A cup of tea finishes every repast,
but it is not such q cup as would satisfy
our depraved taste. for the native arti-
Gle is n tiny affair scarcely larger than
thimble. Tea Is taken upon all o.
casions, by both sexes and all classes,
and ten-drinliing Is simple yet al
ways formal affair. A native tea set
consists of large pot for water, a
smaller one for tca and ever so many
tiny handlcless cups set in groups of
six upon little trays of lacquer or of
china. Boiling water is brought In the
larger and poured over the tea in the
smaller pot and then almost immcdi-
ately poured off into the cups The
most or hostess then takes u tray in
both hands-it would be very impolite
10 take it in one-and bowling low Of
fers it. The guest selects the very
nearest, bows low and receives II in
both hands. He must then ask the
host TO drink with him, and both con-
sumo the amber liquid in little sips.
In China tea is never drank with milk
and sugar, and. though always very
strong. never has that ''puckery" taste
that comes Of long boiling. All vari-
cites have flavor much like our best
grades of black tea, for the green tea
Of commerce is a vile compound not even
tolerated on native soil The real
green tea cannot be exported, because
it is very liable TO undergo fermenta-
ton when exposed to the damp sen air.
1t then turns black. and the substitu-
ton for expectation that comes TO our
market is made by coloring tho leaves
with Prussian blue and gypsum. None
Of the exported teas possess their orig