Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-08-24
DAINTIES.
CURIOUS ARTICLES OF FOOD THAT
ARE BUT LITTLE KNOWN.


Lion Flesh Said to BE Good Eating.
1t was Punch who pathetically COM
planned of the monotony OF eternal
beef and mutton, and prayed for the
invention of new meat. Indeed, the
English bill of fare Is an exceedingly
limited one, and many besides Punch
have sometimes wished that new
meat could be invented. But we do
not take advantage of all the dainties
which nature offers; II is not necessary
to invent new meat, but simply to
acquire courage to taste and eat hith-
erto uneaten animals, birds and rep
tiles
The cow, sheep, pig, various fowls,
game and fish furnish ulI the items
of the various bills of fare; indeed the
food of the vast majority of the people
simply consists of beef and mutton
with occasional changes to pork and
fish. There are, however, many other
animals which. prejudice apart, would
furnish Just as nourishing ard tasty
and more novel food. Horse flesh is
regarded with popular horror, but the
dislike Is one simply founded on preju-
dice. No doubt the flesh of old, worm
out nags Is neither very paIatable or
nourishing. But horse which from
Its birth is intended for food, and fed
and cared for like an OK, supplies ex-
cellent meat 1t is much finer in flavor
than beef or mutton, and much more
expensive. In Paris the restaurants
include horse beef In their daily
menus. In England it is sometimes
served at great feasts as novelty,
and 10 shillings pound is the usual
price paid for it. Similarly, donkey
flesh is very good eating provided 1t
is young. A donkey more than eight
months old is not edible. In taste II
is said to much resemble IA turkey
though very much finer In flavor. Two
shillings n pound Is the price for dom
key meat, but a big demand would, of
course, reduce this to n reasonable fig
ure; the same remark applies to horse
flesh. In Arabia the horse IS eaten
and considered a great delicacy.
Custom and prejudice alone prevent
many really tasty and coumon ami
mails being used for food. OF all ami
mails the pig, with it's filthy, groveling
habits and food, seems the nost un-
likely to be appreciated by human be-
ings. Yet the pig, whose Dame Is
synonym for all that is low and bestial,
Is eaten without repugnance-nay,
with relish. Charles Lamb wrote n
prose epic In praise of roast pork. A
dainty lady will eat and enjoy roast
pork, but she would scream pLd shud-
der at the very idea of eating a roast
rat Yet the rat is vegetarian. and
most cleanly In its habits. while no
body can claim that for the Zig. Rat
pie Is great delicacy, and was
dish of which the Rev. J G. Wood,
the celebrated naturalist, was ex-
tremely fond.
During the siege of Paris. in 1871,
the starving inhabitants ate up all the
animals In the zoo. Elephant and
lion steaks and the flesh of other wild
animals were eaten. and, though ii
was a case Of Hobson's choice-that
or none at all-the Parislnns found
that they were very palatable. Even
now the gourmets of Paris delight in
the flesh of camels, lions and ele-
phants. Camels flesh is brought from
Algeria, and is said to be remarkably
like beef. 1t is as tender as veal, and
the Arabs regard it as very nutri-
tious. The hump of a camel is the tit
bit OF the beast and when plump and
fat is dainty indeed.
In the South of France snakes are
sold, ready for cooking, under the
name of hedge cells Frank Buckland,
the famous naturalist, stated that he
once made a hearty meal off boa con-
strictor, Its flesh being exc, edingly
white and firm, and not unlike veal in
taste Fried or stewed rattle snake is
very like eel which people cat with
out Il qualm of stomach or conscience.
Lion flesh is said to be very good
eating, but tiger is tough and sinewy.
Nevertheless. the latter Is eaten in In
dia, as there Is q superstition that it
imparts strength and cunning to the
eater. Bears flesh Is a great favorte
in Germany, and smoked tongues and
hams are considered great delicacies.
On account of the rarity of bruin, they
are expensive. Sausage-so dear to
the Teutonlc heart-and stomach-is
nlso made with bear liver; % pounds
of sausage can be made from n single
liver.
There appears to be considerable
diversity of opinion as to the merits Of
elephants flesh. In India and Africa
1t is n favorite dish with the natives,
but a European who has Travelled
much In Africa says: 81 nave tasted
elephant over and over again. 1t is
more like soft leather and glue than
anything else | can compare 1t to-"
Another traveller, however. declares
that he cannot imagine how an animal
SO coarse and heavy can produce such
delicate and tender flesh. All authori-
ties, however, agree in commending
elephants foot. Even the traveller
quoted above, who compared ele-
plants flesh to leather and glue, ad-
mits that "baked elephants foot Is
dish fit for king. When an elephant
is shot in Africa the flesh is cut into
strips and dried; 1t is then called "bil-
tong" The elephants foot Is cut off
from the knee joint, and hole about
three feet deep is dug In the earth,
with the sides of 1t baked hard with
burning wood. Most of these fagots
are then removed and the elephants
foot placed in the hole. 1t Is filed up
with earth, tightly packed down, and
n blnzing fire built on top, which is
kept burning for three hours Thus
cooked, the flesh is like q jelly, and
can be eaten with a spoon. 1t is the
ntAC 1n1i Oh, 1,n ,rt,,.