Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1900-07-14
A JAPANESE DINNER.
HOW THE OlSTASTEFUL FOOD IS
SERVED AND EATEN.
squnttIng before Tables Six Inches
High, One Wrrstlcs with Chop
sticks and Tin! HOSSls. the While
Waited Upon by HnrefOOtcd Maids.

sticks and Tin! Fowls, the While
Waited Upon by Dnrefootcd Maids.
To an American given to stiff joints
and corpulency Il JAPANESE dinner is
tedious experience, especially when
he's used to business lunches and the
like. But 1t Is worth trial and dis
eomfiture If one Is fortunate enough
to be the guest of Il rich man. for in
Japan hospitality is one of the cardinal
virtues.
Western customs and usagrs have
found their way into many homes of
the wealthy, whose dinners and
lunches are the counterpart of those
with which we are all familiar. But
real Japanese dinner, including chop
sticks, lacquer trays and tiny cups. Is
thing never to be forgotten.
japanese houses are made up of slid
Ing screens instead of our solid parti-
tiOnS and In summer are all left open, so
that, seated at dinner, one LOCKS ont
over the gardens, seeing the lights Of
the city In the distance, and the scent
of n thousand flowers blows In with
every breath of air.
The guests remove their shoes on
entering the house and, except when
provided with pair of cotton over
shoes, must spend the evening In
stocking feet unless happily the host
has an extra pair. The wife of n Jap
ancsc gentleman does not preside at
his table unless there are ladies in the
party, but appears with the tea and
swectmeats, which always precede
dinner, rs do our cocktails and sherry,
etc. She merely greets the guests and
appears again only when the goodbys
are said.
Silken cushions are scattered about
the floor and the guests are arranged
according to rank, for the japanese
are, of course, great sticklcrs for form
and ceremony. Little tables. some six
inches high. are placed before each one
and barefooted waiting maids In grace
full and prettily tinted kimonos bring
in lacquer trays with several tiny COW
cred bowls.
Before leaving the trays on the
tables they set them on the floor. and,
dropping on their knees make their
best bow, touching their fOrchcads to
the floor Chopsticks take the place
of knives and forks; but. unlike our
weapons of attack, are made of wood.
They are never used twice. unless fam
lily herlooms, when they are Of carved
ivory of the most exquisite workman
ship. as are also the lacquer trays
bowls and cups.
The host sets an example by remOv-
ing the covers from the tiny bowls. and
the guest. doing likewise, finds ali as
sOrtmcnt of food quite new and gen
orally most dIstastcful. Mastering up
much skill one attempts getting the
food on chopsticks from the tables to
ones mouth. The first few times most
of 1t falls on the floor or on ones lap
The wretchcd sticks wabble and cross
each other as If focused. When al
most desperate the good host Is apt
to come to the rescue by suggesting
lifting the bowls, and. with the aid of
chopstick. shoveling the food in. rs
one would potatoes into barrel.
In cacl1 course there are half a dozen
dishes, and the host tells what they
are. First. suimono, n bean soup;
kuchitori. chcstnuts boiled and crushed
into muSh; kamabOko. fish picked
fine and rolled into little balls and bak-
ed; sashimi. raw fish cut into thin
slices and covered with Ice. This is
dipped into rich sauce called soy, and
is really very good. Little cups of
warm sake the native brandy made Of
rice, are served with each course. Nap
kins and bread are unknown guam
titles.
The second course Is small fish
boiled whole. One has a chance here
to get in some fine play with the chop
sticks-umani, bits Of fowl boiled with
potatoes or lotus roots, n salad of on
ions. peas and string beans, with few
leaves of lettuce; sunOmono, sea snalls
served with eggplant mashed. and cha
man mushi. a thick soup made of fish
and vegetables. with mushrooms for
relish.
The third course Is n curry of rice
and picked vegetables, and for fourth
and final course you have sobo, sort
Of buckwhcat vcrmicclli served with
soy ana sweet liquor Cillcu lllilI,
shiruko. rice cakes, seaweed and CON
fectioncry of all sorts. which are very
sweet and tastcless.
During the dinner each guest rises
and proposes the health of the host and
one other guest until the whole party is
disposed of. This custom Is rather
hard on the guests. for sake Is fiery
stuff and goes to ones head more
quickly than our own brandy. To
make matters worse, after one has
drunk the health Of all the company 1t
is customary to drink the health Of the
Mattresses. who bow their foreheads to
the floor In acknowledgement
At the close of dinner the tabakO
bon. n tray holding hibachi with live
Goals In n cone of ashes and section
of bamboo for an ash receiver, Is put
before each guest, and cigars and clga-
rettes are passed around. When all Is
over one feels very hungry, stiff In the
Joints and, If the dinner has been n
large one, very much In need Of n slim
ulant.- Boston Transcript.
Hair Trigger Language.
UCO you finally proDOSpdT ~ said hIS