The Washington bee., 1899-06-24
NATURES DAINTIES.
CURIOUS ARTICLES OF FOOD THAT
ARE BUT LITTLE KNOWN.
Dislike for Horsehesh Founded ON Preju-
dice-Bsars Flesh a Decided Favorite-
Rhinoceros Meat Not without Admirers
Lion Flesh Said to Be Good Eating.

1t was Punch who pathetically com
planned of the mOnotony o. eterna
beef and mutton, and prayed for the
invention of new meat. InGeed, the
English bill of fare is an exceedingly
limited one, and many besid,s Punct
have sometimes wished that a new
meat could be invented. But we dc
not take advantage of all tine dainties
which nature offers: it is not necessary
to invent a new meat. but simply to
acquire courage to taste and cat hith
erto uneaten animals. birds and rep.
! tiles.
The cow, sheep. pig, various fowls
game and fish furnish all the items
of the various bills of fare; indeed the
food of the vast majority of The people
simply consists of beef ard mutton.
with occasional changes to Fork and
fish. There are. however, many other
| animals which. prejudice apart. would
furnish just as nouriShing al d tasty
and more novel food. HOrSt flesh is
regarded with popular horror. but the
dislike is one simply founded on preju-
dice No doubt the flesh of old, worn
out nags is neither very paIltable or
nOuriShing. But a 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 a novelty,
and 10 shillings a pound is tie usual
price paid for it. Similarly. donkey
flesh is very good eating. provided it
is young. A donkey more than eight
months old is not edible. In taste it
! is said TO much resemble turkey
though very much finer in flavor. Two
shillings a pound is the price for don
key meat. but a big demand would. of
course, reduce this to a reasonable fig
ure; the same remark applies TO horse
flesh. In Arabia the horse s eaten
and considered great delica"y.
Custom and prejudice alone prevent
{ many really tasty and common ami
mails being used for food. or all ami
mails the pig. with its filthy. groveling
habits and food. seems the most un-
likely TO be appreciated by human be-
ingS. Yet the pig. whose name is a
is eaten without repugnancp-nay.
with relish. Charles Lamb wrote a
prose epic in praise of roas. pork A
dainty lady will eat and enjoy roast
pork, but she would scream al.d shud-
der at the very idea of eating a roast
rat. Yet the rat is a vegetarian. and
most cleanly in its habits while no.
body can claim that for the big Rat
pie is a 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 oil er wild
animals were eaten, and though it
was a case of Hohson'S choIce-that
or none at all-the PariSians found
that they were very palatIb't. Even
now the gourmets of Paris delight in
the flesh Of camels, lions and ele-
plants. Camel's flesh is brought from
Algeria. and is said to be remarkably
Ike beef. Ii is as tender As veal. and
the Arabs regard il as very nutri-
tious The hump of a camel is the tit
fat is dainty indeed
In the South Of France snakes are
sold. ready for cooking. under the
name of hedge eelS. Frank auckland.
the famous naturalist. stated that he
once made hearty meal off IA boa con-
strctor. its flesh being exc, edingly
white and firm. and not unlike veal in
taste. Fried or Stawed rattieSnake is
very like eel. which people cat with
out a 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 a superstition that it
impartS strength and cunning to the
eater. Bears flesh is a great favorite
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 Teutonic heart-and stOmach-iS
also made with bear liver; - pounds
of sausage can be made from single
liver
There appears TO be considerable
/ diversity of opinion as TO the merits of
elephants flesh. IN India anG Africa
ii is n favorite dish with tha natives.
but a European who has travelled
much in Africa says: Il nav tasted
elephant over and over again. 1t is
more like soft leather and S'ue than
anything else l can compare il 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 commencing
| elephants foot. Even the traveller
| quoted above. who compared ele-
plants flesh to leather an! glue, ad-
mits that baked elephants foot is a
! dish tit for a king. When IN elephant
| is shot in Africa tie flesh is cut into
strips and dried: il is then called bill
tong" The elephants foot is cut off
from the knee joint. and a hole about
three feet deep is dug in the earth.
with the sides of It baked hard with
burning wood. Most of these fagots
are then removed. and the elephants
foot placed in the hole. 1t is filled up
with earth, tightly packed down, and
blazing fire built on top. which is
kept burning for three hours Thus
cooked, the flesh is like jelly. and
can be eaten with a spoon. It is the
greatest delicacy which can he given
to kaffir