Orange County observer., 1896-11-12
TERRAPIN TALK.
A Food Dainty Worth Almost It's
Weight in Gold.
Most Expensive Kind Caught in
Chesapeake Bay.

y
quires a golden hook if You are not
an expert angler in the waters OF
Chesapeake Bay, for the diamond
hacked terrapin is an aristocratic den
lzen OF those waters and worth almost
h. weight In gold to the epicure of
the fashionable cafe. This value set
upon the terrapin prevents the edible
reptile from becoming food for the
masses, his scarcity enhancing his
worth and making him more tooth
some tid-bit for the eunuied digestion
of the professional dinerout.
he diamond-back terrapin is only
another name for small species of
turtle, and time was when the colored
people Of Maryland ate them after
roasting them in their shells. and
never dreamed Of their value as food
for royal menu Now terrapin
farm is mine of wealth to its pos
| SCISSOR. A true story is told of a
poor negro fisherman who Glanced
| upon anest Of diamond backs near
Tangier island in 1898. Ia four hours
he took out twelve hundred dollars
worth aud stopped only when too ex-
huusted to work.
Terrapins 'in pound" present an in
teresting but by no means an appetiz
ing appearance. The pound is
| place where the Fishermen keep the
turtles until they are shipped to some
city to the mark cts. There is q pre-
judice in the minds Of the dealers
against pound terrapin as losing some
OF their delicacy when kept from salt
water. but only an epicure could dis
tinguish difference. The farms
where they are cultivated are flooded
with sea water, so that the little OBJ
iect preserves its delicatessen quail
ties unimpaired.
There are certain rules under stood
by those who purchase terrapin. They
are careful to observe that the extreme
tip or muzzle of the head is not in
jured, that the bottom Of the feet are
not worn of, thut the head is prettily
shaped-small, thin and pointed, and
the eyes brilliant. The feet should be
small and slender. Those who have
seen these same diamond backs crawl
ing over each other in the windows of
fish stores diu 1ot pefhaps appreciate
their great worth. 9
Cooking terrapin properly is such
an art that only chef or a Mary
lander should be permitted TO give IN
structions. 1t is rather hard on the
epicurc to be told that unless the
small bones Of the terrapln are left in
he will not know whether he is eating
the genuine article or not. But 1t Is
absolutely true tnat the only people
who can cook 1t rs it demands are the
MARYLAND cooks VINO learned from the
colored people, aud their secret OF
success is to handle it as little as pos
sible. and to serve it from the dish In
which it was cooked, thurs preserving
its native juices and aromas.
On the terrapin farms of the Chesa-
peake u peculiar sport is indulSed IN
| by the men, called ",errapin racing
The turtles are let loose IN a large
room, where at one end hot fire Il
Llazing, protected by guard. They
all begin scramble for the light and
warmth. the men betting on particular
ones. They have no continuity oi
purpose, and are likely TO branch of
in dozen devious routes, bat the
terrnpiu that first puts its nose agalus'
the fire guard wins the iaca :
Terrapln are rated according te
which simply gives the name Of tho
slate whence they come. First on the
Next comes Long Island. Then Nir-
gina, Charleston and Savannah.
Florida. Mobile and the gnlf follow
Mlsslssipr: and North Carolina and
otuer points south furnish excellent
terrapin.
E.gb;y dollars dozen Is not coz
zs,dered high for choice terrapln 81
certain seasons and on specia! occ.'
eiols. 4 modest housekeereE saw ous
craving over some Holsters n hsr
market. and ou. Of curiosity inquired
tue ptic..
, .'W Lat time IS l;?' asked the ma.
Ee, ,aaa, IUehIne al MS waich- fos
n4u. have !: Tor 50. oa- !: II vss