The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1894-10-17
TIE CUISINE IN KOREA,
THE DIET OF THAT QUAINT PENN
SULA'5 INHABITANTS.

Rice the Staple Nourishment@Fish
Eaten Raw-Dog's Flesh the Su-
preme Tid-bit.
"OLONEL LONG, the we'll
known traveller, litterateur
w. and former United States Con-
sui in Korea, furnishes the fol-
lowing interesting details anent the
diet Of the inhabitants Of that quaint
peninsular, to French paper.
The Korean goes to bed at the set
ting of the sun and gets up ere it rises
again. An immense public bell,
called In-Klung, gives the signal for
closing the shops; the streets, which
during the day are swarming with
people, become in an instant silent
and deserted. Before extending him
self upon his mat the good Korean
gorges himself with "pap" (rice) after
which, while playing q game rosem-
bling backgammon, he imbibes for
midable quantity of "sur' IA very in
toxicating rice spirit. The Korean
is heavy drinker, and it is by no
means rare spectacle to see his wife
drinking as hard as he.
"Pap," which constitutes the staple
nourishment, is rice washed in salt
water and then boiled. This prepar-
alton, which is also customary in
Japan, imparts snowy whiteness to
it which renders it exceedingly pala-
table. 1t is then emptied into large
pail, around which the family squats.
They eat as in China. with spoon
and chopsticks; plates, knives and
forks they wot not of. All their uten-
sils are of copper, though a few Man
darins use pale gray porcelain bowie,
initiating ancient porcelain.
Tho Korean has also his stew, called
''kimtchi" boiled with turnlps,
onions, radishes and various roots,
strongly seasoned with salt and pep
psr, and accompanied by q kind of
saurkrout, with q sickening smell.
Every coolie who INDUCES in this lux
ury exhales IN odor stronger than that
of the American polecat. Should he
be in the service of an European he is
only permitted to eat of it when he
gets twenty four hours holiday.
Fish also occupies large place in
the cuisine of the country. 1t is eaten
very high, and even rotten. More
over, the native does not disdain to
eat it raw; and he frequently sees the
fishermen squatted on the banks of
the river, with rod and line, plunge
the fish they have just caught in jar
of ''soy" Ia very highly seasoned
sauce) and then MUNICH it alive. "Ho-
no, :" salad of fish bones, is regarded
as q great delicacy.
But the supreme tid-bit, rs much
appreciated by the cooiie when he can
afford the luxury as by King Li-Hi, is
dogs flesh. A dog soup is the ne plus
ultra of every Korean. 1t is, more
over, regarded as au infallible uni
versal remedy, which the King fire.
quently administers to himself, in
spite of the American doctor aud
Protestant missionary attached to his
person. The Korean dogs of average
size recall those of ConsSantinople
and Cairo; their price averages fifty
cents. On high days and holidays the
King distributes gifts to the Manda-
rims and foreigners resident in the
capital; the present of few dogs is
the highest favor the sovereign can
accord.
"Kimtchi" and dog soup figure every
day on the table of tho Mandarins.
One sees besides quantity of poultry
and game of all kinds, which are very
abundant and of superior quality
chickens, quails, geese, wild ducks,
bustards, swans, vensioD, bear, etc,
sometimes even tiger and leopard. But
it is all badly cooked, and seasoned
with peppery or sweet sauces, revolt
ing to European. Shall l give you
an idea of the prices? During my
soiourn in the land OF "Matutinal
Calm" chicken fetched ten cents; a
pheasant from ten to twelve cents; a
wild duck, eight cents; wild goose,
fourteen cents; O bustard, eighteen
cents eggs from three to four cents
O dozen, etc
There is fruit of the ebony tree and
to drink, horrible decoction of gin
ger and other roots, seasoned with
pepper and sugar. / tasted it once,
! DuJ u6NSI hiSt ~ hS"ih' AhSAS 40 -
tea.
The Korean is too dirty and too lazy
10 be placed at the head of a kitchen,
and the Europeans employ him only
as scullery hand. He is paid from
S1.50 to SO per month he sleeps at
home and keeps himself.
The japanese and Chinese on the
other hand, are excellent servants (;
they cost from $40 to S15 per month.
They are of remarkable cleanliness
a cleanliness which our European do
mestics, so little inclined to wash their
hands, would do we'll to emulate.
Each day the japanese asks his master
for an hours leave of absence, which
he passes in taking bath, which costs
him one cent. He keeps the house as
bright as new pin; the cooking uten-
sils are as carefully polished as if they
were of gold. The Japanese are ideal
domestics.
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