The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1892-10-07


the soup reads, with characteristic
vaguencss, like this: Take a. many
nests - are necessary. clean and pick
out the feathers, and boil in sufficient
water To make 4 thin jelly. Pour this
over hard boiled pigeons eggs, and iloat
on the top Shrcds of ham. Serve sweet
ened If desired" "
The number Of edihles in China is
legion. and their com mbinat ions are sim
ply diStracting. The people have u
regular intuition FOR cooking, and every
man. woman and child can prepare IA
good meal ont of the most mcagcr sup
ply of materials. Swcctmeats are eaten
10y yOung and old, and one can scarcely
90 anywhere without meeting Il ven
dor Of confectionery. Bright yellow
cakes Of rice and sugar are sold To- chill
dren at every street corner. ana queer
tasting bonbonS of bean flour, miiirt
seed or popped rice, candied >eawced,
melon rind and orange peel are eaten
in enormous quantities at New Year =
time and other fea~ts- Every huu>e-
wife prepares once a year an enor-
nous sweet loaf Of buck heat -four and
keeps il on hand Ia offer visitors with
tea. IT i as heavy as lead and a vii
lainOuS compound. and, like the old
fashioned fruit cake of our grandmoth-
ers. lasts the year round, and its APP
pearance upon special occasions Is IN
evitablc.
Table etiquette such as would please
Il Chinese host would shock and dis
gust an American one. Men keep on
their hats when eating, and II j. quite
the proper caper" to make rs much
noise as possible in the process of mas
tication. for the more made the
greater i supposed to be the enjoy
ment experienced. Between courses a
basin and towel are passed around
and the guests mop off the face and
wash the hands. The more food
i consumed the better, for the
more the host is honorcd. and if it
seems necessary to refuse Il second
helping the polite thing To say IL: 20,
no. | dare not, for I'm afraid you
haven't enough" y host in properly
exercising his hospitality must press
his guests To eat, and the distressing
importantly with which one Is urged
makes foreigner feel very uncnm-
Portable
because elaborate dinner sets come
from China. it must not be supposed
that these are used by the natives
themselves. They are manufactured
for foreign trade only. \ native set
consists of simply great number Of
bowls Of different sizes, colore and
shapes. chopsticlSs. and chinaware
spoons. Il bout the size of a dessert spoon,
with short. curved handles. The chop
sticks are of silver, ivory or wood, and
are held in the hand much yye would
hold a lead pencil very slight mo
tion causes their tips To approximate,
and pieces of food are easily grasped
by them. and they are only used IN
graSping and showing. for a Chinaman
can no more eat liquids with them than
~e can eat soup with fork. The deX-
tcrity with which they are used il rash
" over-estimated, for food Of semi
solid nature. such aS rice, Il eaten by
placing the bowl To the lips and push
ing the contents into the month with
the sticks. and one viewing a family OF
the best cultured eating meal in the
most approved fashion thinks it any
thing but dainty process.
\ cup of tea finishes every repast,
but it i not such n cup ~ w"uld satisfy
our depravrd taste. for the native arti-
Gle i a tiny affair scarcely larger than
Il thimble. Tea Is taken upon all oc-
caSions. by both sexes and ali classes.
and Il tea-drinIIng is a simple yet al
WAYS formal affair A native tea set
/ consists of large pot for water. Il
smaller one for tea and ever - many
/ tinv han'llcleSs cups set IA groups of
six upon little trays of lacquer or oT
china Boiling water j. brought ia the
! larger and poured over the tea in th,.
smaller pot and then almost immrdi-
atelv poured off into thc cups The
host or hostess then takes tray IN
! both handS-it wuuld be very impoiite
to take it in nne-aud bowinT low Of
/ frrs it. The guest selects the very
! nearest. bows low and receives IL in
! both hands. lie 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 ''pucllery" taste
that comes of long boiling. All vari-
! cites hage "a flavor much like our best
| grades of black tea, for the green tea
! of cOmncr rec i a vile compound not even
! tolerated ON native soil. The real
/ green tea cannot be exported, because
! ii il very liable To undergo fermenta-
! tion when exposed to the damp sea air.
! 1t then turns black. and the Substitu-
! ton for expectation that comes To our
! market Il mace DE coIorihS the leaves
with Prussian blue and gypsum. None
! of the exported teas possess their orig
| inal flavor. for all that are intended
for shipping are submitted to an extra
drying process at the seaport. This iS
I very injurious, for it drives of much of
the 1lavoring principle and aroma.
| The caravan teas of Russia owe their
superiority to having escaped this last
port drying, which is 50 fatal to a fine
! havur.-Detroit Free Press