The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-06-06
DINNER A La JAPANESE.
Picturesque and Possibly a DIges-
tfbIe Repnsf

From the Boston Transcript)
To an American given 10 stiff joints and
corpulency a japanese dinner is a tedious
experience, especially when he's used 10
business lunches and the like But il is
worth trial and discontinue if one is
fortunate enough 10 be the guest Of a rich
man. for In Japan hospitality is one Of
the cardinal virtues.
Western customs and usages 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 a real Japanese
dinner. including chopsticks. lacquer trays
and Tiny cups is a thing never 10 be for
gotten.
japanese houses are mad up of sliding
screens instead of our solid partitions,
and in summer all are left open. so that,
seated al dinner. one lOOkr out over the
gardens, seeing the lights of the city in
the distance, and the scent OF a thousand
flowers blows in with every breath OF air
The guests remove their shoes on en-
tering the house, and except when pro-
vided with pair Of cotton oyershoes must
spend the evening in stocking feet. unless,
happily. the host has an extra pair. The
wife Of a japanese gentleman does not
preside at his table unless there are la
dies in the party, but appears with the
tea and sweetmeats which always pre-
cede a dinner, as do our cocktails and
sherry, etc. She merely greets tie guests
and appears again only when the good
byes are said. Silken cushions are scat
tered about the floor and the guests are
arranged according to rank. for the Jap
anese are, Of course, great stickIers for
form and ceremony. Little tables. some
six inches high, are placed before each
one and barefooted waiting maids in
graceful and prettily-tinted kimomos
bring in lacquer trays with several tiny
covered bowls Before leaving the traps
on the tables they set them on the floor.
and dropping on thsi- knees make their
best bow. touching their foreheads to the
hoor. Chopsticks take the place of knives
and forks. but unlike our weapons OF at
tack are made Of wood They are never
used twice, except family heirIOoms when
they are Of carved ivory OF the most
unique workmanship, as are also the
lacquer trays, bowls. and cups.
The hest sets an example by renewing
the covers from the tiny bowls. ana the
guest, doing likewise. finds an assortment
OF food quite new and gen1 rally uost dis
tasteful Mastering Up much skill one at
tempts getting the food on etop [ e5s n ON
the tables to ones mouth The Fl 81 W
tunes most OF II falls on TIE focr or on
ones lap. The wretched sti ks abble Z, :
cross each other as il focused. When
almost desperate the gocd lost is apt u
come TO the rescue by suggestive Iiftfrg
the bowls. and with the aid Of a chcpstick
shovellng the food in, as one would pota
toes into a barrel
In each course there are half a doze,
dishes. and the host tells what they ara
FIRST, suimono. a bean SOUP: kucbi;rri
chestnuts. boiled and crushed into a mush.
kamaboko, fish picked fine and rolled iuto
little balls and baked; sash mi. raw 3sb
cut Into thin slices and cFered with &C.
This is dipped into rich sauce allied sew
and is really very good. Little cups of
warm sake, the native brandy made Of
nee are served with each course Nam
kins and bread are unknown quantities
Inc second course is a small fish bo1ed
whole One has a chance here 10 get in
some fine play with the ehopsfi r.
umani. bits of fowl boiled with pota.oss or
lotus roots; salad of onions. peas and
string beans, with few leaves OF lettuce.
sunomono, sea snails served with egg Ia-,t
mashed. and chaman-mushi. a thick soun
made of fish and vegetables, with musb-
rooms fer relish.
The third course is : curry of r;ce and
PICKED vegetables; and for a fourth AMI
maj course you have soho. a sort ~
DNSh"HSdt NeIilCein served with SOW a-ad
sweet liquer called mirin: shiruko rico
CAKES, seaweed, and confectionery Of al
Sorts, which are very sweet and tasteless
Durins the dinner each guest rises and
proposes the health Of the host and one
other guest until the whole party Is dis
posed or This custom is rather hard on
the guests, for sake II fiery stun ana goes
10 ones head more quickly than our own
brandy. To make matters worse after
one mas drunk the health of all the com
pany. it is customary to drink the besitb
OF the Mattresses. who bow their fore
heeds to the floor in acknowledgements.
AT the close Of the dinner the tahako
oon, tray holding hibachi with live
Goals In cone OF ashes and a section of
pam for an ash receiver, is put before
each guest, and sigars ard cigarettes are
passed around When all is over one feels
very hungry, stin in the joints, and il the
dinner has been a large one. very much
In need OF brandy and soda.