Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1893-09-05
WHAT CHINAMEN EAT.
AN AMEnIcAn DESCRIBES THE FEAST
or A CELESTIAL.

Eating Customs IN China Differ RndIcsliy
from Those In AmerIca--A ceremonI.
ous Bananet--Isare Chinese Dsiic.cies.
Chinese aud Vegetables.
When we were seated Mt the table a
daintily attired slave girl furnished us
with ivory chopsticka and asked NJ for
our order We called for regular dinner,
wishing to see just what the house sup
piled. A Chinese dinner begins, as we
would think. mt the wrong end first A
the first courSe We were served with tee in
dainty little china cups The second
course consisted OF small diHhes Of water.
melon seeds These are a favorite delicacy
amoug the Chinese Next came sliced
oranges, served In individual dishes.
The oranges were small ard very sweet
and juicy. The fourth course was the din
ner proper and contained the suiJstantials.
Rice was the principal Wand and was
served In large center dish, each person
being given bowl. There were several
smaller dishes OF different kinds Of meats
and vegetables TO eat with the rice, such a
duck meat, pork. mutton curry, bean
cursl. stringed cocoanut. etc. This course
completed our dinner, since we did not
partake OF the rice wine with which the
Chinese frequently end their meals.
Rice Is the Chinaman's staff Of life aud
forms the principal article Of diet through
out the country. 1t Is cooked by steaming
in a basket or sieve suspended over shall
low iron kettle partly filed with water
The other articles OF food are cooked in
the same way and Mt the same time, rs
many as four or five steamers being fitted
nicely over each other and covered to keep
in the steam. which the winter below sup
plies 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 meal at which those familiar dishes
were lacking.
WHAT CHISAMEN EAT.
Perhaps the greatest variety in the Chi.
nese bill Of fare il found in the vegetables.
and certainly much Of their agriculture
consists in raising them. Bean curd and
bean jam, such ~ we had at the hotel din
ner, 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, cauliflower cress.
colewort, lettuce. SOW thistle, spinach,
celery, dandelion, succory, sween basil,
ginger, mustard. radishes, artemisia, anna
ranthus, tacca, pig weed, burslaue, shept
herds purse, clover. garlic. leeks. onions,
scallions, ailantus and chives are some OF
the principal greens, many OF them de-
cidedly odoriferous during cooking and
after eating.
Carrots, courds. squashes. cucumbers,
waterlnelons, tomatoes, turnips. radishes,
brinjals. pumpkins and okers may be
named as most common among the score
or more garden vegetables. Sweet po,a
toes are 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 are
abundant ali the year, oranges being the
most common.
The few puppies and kittens that are
sold for the table are fed on diet of rice
beforehand, SO their flesh is probably much
cleaner and more wholesome than the
swill eating, mud wallowing hog that
forms SO large part of the food of our
own country. Rats may be eaten in some
few cases; in fact believe | saw n string
Of dried rats hanging in market in Can
ton. but they are neither common nor
SHCdpt anu OuRut nOS W Dc CDuSidcTcu u
distinctive part of Chinese diet any more
than frogs legs and snails should be of
American diet Birds nest soup is eaten
occasionally by those who can afford it. It
is very expensive, costing a dollar an
ounce. | was fortunate enough to taste
some once, and thought it was the most
delicious soup had ever eater. Sharks
fins are also eaten now and then by cpl
cures.
CHINESE BANQUET.
At frequent Intervals along the streets in
the city there are what may be called res
taurants right out in the street The
keeper may be seen squatting on the stoue
pavement on a low stool. He has a little
earthen furnace or bungalow" on which
he cooks various kinds of food On low
counter by his side are trays of food and
in front of the counter are stools for Gus
toners.
The Chinese generally have only two
meals day-breakfast about or 10 o'clock
in the morning and dinner ut or in the
afternoon. Husband and wife seldom eat
together, and never do so when strangers
or guests are present The females eat by
themselves. after the mon have finished.
The rice is placed in large dish in the
center of the table and each person helps
himself, filling his bowl by means of a
ladle or large spoon.
He then holds his bowl in his left hand
near the chin, and then pushes the rice into
his mouth by means of two chopsticks,
both held between the thumb aud the fore
and middle fingers Of the right hand.
Knives and forks are not used at meals.
Whenever hit of fish or vegetable is
wanted, it is selected from the common
dish and conveyed to the mouth by the
use of the chop sticks.
Private banquets among the higher
classes of Chinese are given with all due
respect to form and ceremony. The guests
are invited by means of little slips of red
paper (red being the festal color on which
is written: ''On the - day "A trifiiug en-
tertainment will await the light of your
countenance. Fung keung's compli
inents."
The host, dressed in gorgeous array, vel
comes his guests. aud when they have all
arrived invites them to lay aside their
robes of ceremony. The tables are laid out
IN tasteful manner, having pyramids of
cake, piles of fruit aud dishes of preserves,
the whole almost buried with flowers
Some time is consumed by host and guests
in formal requests and refusals to take the
highest seats, though no one will sit down
until the host has taken his place.
The host apologies for the frugal char
acter of the repast, aud at certain mo
meut the guests rise simultaneously and
drink his health. Then, in politeness, they
invert their glasses TO show that they are
drained. AT the conclusion of the feast il
is not considered impolite for IL guest to
express satisfaction with the good things