The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-23
SHORTAGE IN CHINESE FOOD.
EdibIes Imported From the Home
Fields Becoming Fewer,


The trouble in China is beginning to
come home to the residents of Chinatown
in an entirely new way. The prospect u
serious shortage IN the food products
which they import from the FIowery
Kingdom is staring them in the face, and
with it comes the terrible probability that
they will be forced to learn TO eat Ameri-
can food Many articles OF Chinese food
are now being raised in this counery, the
supply for this city coming from farms on
Long Island and in Delaware and North
Carolina. Chinese fishermen at San Fran
cisco have succeeded in finding many OF
the fish varieties of which their country
men are particularly fond. But there are
many delicacies which are so thoroughly
Oriental that there is no hope of their
ever being found anywhere else.
There have been no large shipments OF
Chinese foodstuffs since the trouble began
Most of the delicacies are of a perishable
nature. and large stock of them cannot
| be kept. 1t takes regular shipments 10
keep the market supplied Prices have
already begun to rise in Chinatown and
the wise Mongolians are filling their re-
frigerators with advance supplies. Only
few Of them care for American food. and
all of the delicate morsels which they par
ticularly like come from China.
Anyone who has ever eaten thoroughly
Chinese dinner will realize how impossible
IL Is to raise many of the items on the
bill of fare in this country. Take birds
nests, for instance. Can anyone imagine
even a heather Chinese eating the COM
bination of stubDie, leaves, and twigs
which the American bird is content 10 ci.ll
home? The fact of the matter is that
America has not the right kind of birds.
| The particular Chinese bird whose nest
has so fine taste builds its home in the
rocky cliffs along the Chinese coast, and
uses its own saliva for construction mate
rial. The nest looks like Jelly and sells
here for s1.50 portion, although it will
not be sold at all should the war continue
much longer.
Sloot gee is another Chinese food article
that Is found only in the northen part OF
the Empire. 1t springs up through the
snow and is hard to find. Sloot gee is a
black, fungus looking substance, and sells
for SIG a pound when there is any in the
market.
Of course there are plenty of sharks off
the Atlantic shore. but the fins are not the
same as those OF the Chinese shark. The
Chinese have tried to eat Atlantic shark
fms, but they found too many bones and
much tough skin.
They might use celery in place OF heir
bamboo shoots, but with hardly more d =
light than the lover OF good Havana leaf
would smoke cabbage leaves should thsre
be a shortage OF tobacco. The shoots are
exported to America both in the natural
and preserved state, and no attempt has
ever been made to raise them here. Chi
nese think there is no comparison between
the egg laid in America and the similar
article sent them from China preserved
in black clay They hold the same views
about oysters, and would rather have one
Chinese dried oyster, although 1t looks
like leather and smells like poor varnish,
than whole basket of Rockaway bivalves.
Duck gizzards, lychee nuts. and dried
mushrooms are other articles which must
come from China If the Chinese taste is
to be satisfied.
There are plenty OF dried lizards on the
market, thanks to the enterprise OF a san
/ ancisco importing Arm. Before the
Boxers took up their big knives for the
purpose of exterminating everything
Christian, even TO the fourth generation,
this firm found that the market was short
on lizards and imported a quantity. The
price took jump. however, owing to
decision of the customs officlais Inc
lizard is generally used to make medi-
cinal tea after simmering on the stove
as the back country farmer SINNERS herbs.
Consequently the appraiser ruled that 1t
was a medical preparation. and should pay
25 per cent ad valorem duty. The Chinese
claimed that il was an extract of meat,
and should come in for 10 per cent under
the head of ''unmsnufactured articles.
OF course the customs men had their way,
and dried lizards are almost as expensive
as the food in which the war has caused
a shortage.