Evening star., 1901-02-25
SOME FILIPINO DAINTIES
NATIVES MAKE Up GOOD DINNER
At LOW COST.
GrasshOppers. Moths and Giant Bati
Contribute to Stock the Larders
of the Lower Classes.
From the Scientific American.


Your correspondent having had the priv
ilege of investigating the kinds of foods
eaten by the native people of the Philip
pine Islands. some interesting information
may be given concerning the way in which
the Filipino makes up a good dinner at low
cost. Probably the most common article
of food that would not be desired by Ameri-
cans or others than the Filipinos is the
graSshopper. In these islands the grass
hoppers not only grow in great numbers,
but the size of the insect is large. There
those who make business of catching
the grasshOppers during the best season
for them, which is in May, June, July and
later At first the grasshoppers begin to
appear in swarmS. but of small size AS
the grasShopper grows the prOportionate
increase in size of the swarms is noticeable
At first the clouds of hepperS passing over
head seemed something like haZy atmos-
phere; al tter Il few weeks growth the clouds
of hoppers become dark and heavy. They
fly III large numbers. and the day is dark
ened as soon as swarms of hoppers appear
in any vicinity. They usually light in the
pastures. where they live on the smaller in
sectS. the grass. the vegetation in general.
When a swarm of full-SiZed grasshoppers
light on a farm or other productive land
the vegetation is almost completely eaten
off In the meantime, however, the owner
Of the land. with all his neighbors, have
been hard at work catching the grass
hoppers.
The mode of catching the grasshoppers
in the Philippines is interesting. There are
always two three bellboys stationed in
the towers of the big church of each city.
town or barrio of the Philippine group,
these boys being there for the purpose of
sounding the various signal bells There
are certain strokes for funerals. others for
births. and at present there are signals for
the approach of army. These boys in
fI,p tnyt Eep ha ind
tions of the approach of grasshOpper
swarms. During the hopper season they
particularly active, and announce the
approach of the swarms as soon as seen.
Tor the grasshoppers often merely pass over
a town, but usually low enough to permit
the natives to catch many of them. AS
soon as the bellboys see that there are
some scattering grasshoppers in the air,
as an advance guard to the main body
they sound the hopper signals on the bells
and hundreds of expert grasshopper catch
ers with their nets turn out.
Catching Grnsshoppers.
There are several methods used by the
natives for catching grasshoppers. The
most effective is the net. This is large
butterfly net, arranged with netting placed
over a hoop, and to the latter is fixed a
long handle. The native takes this handle.
and with the mouth of the net toward the
grasShoppers he rushes forth, bagging con-
hoppers always 60 in swarms, except the
advance guard and the stragglers, and If
anything occurs to disturb their flight they
get confused and tumble into bags readily
or fall into the open mouths of nets. They
fly SO closely that they cannot well es-
cape as when they turn slightly out of
their course they come into contact with
other grasShopperS next to them.
The padder method for catching the hop
pers consists in using a long stick to the
end of which is fixed a piece of fiat wood
about ten inches in diameter. If the grass
hoppers pass over ones own property, then
ii is sa afe to use this affair, for then all of
the srasshoppers which are killed by swing
ing this instrument through the clouds of
insects as they pass are dropped to the
ground. where they may be selected and
thoroughly dried them out. Another
method consists i'll exploding cartridges In
the midst of swarms of the insects, for the
shock stuns quantities of the grasshoppers.
and after an effective explosion the ground
Is covered two or three inches deep with
the erasshoppers for a distance OF from
twenty-five To thirty feet square
Grasshopper catching Is profitable busi-
resS in the Philippines. GraSShopperS sell
at s. per sack. gold. in the larger cities OF
the islands where the people do not have a
chance to get at the insects In the fields.
The sacks of the islands hold about a
bushel The grasshopper is a regular arti-
Gle i'll the markets for the entire year. as
after drying out the hopper can be kept
Indefinitely 1t is in the operation OF dry
ing that the grasshopper Is made eatabie.
7 never saw "A native eat a green grasshop-
per but l have seen them eat the dried
ones by the pocketful on the street or IN
cnmDany at entertainments, and by the
d!shful at the table at their homes
Tried the GrasshOpper.
Your correspondent has tried the prepared
grasshopper, and has experienced no seri-
Gus results The hopper is first so thor
oushly dried out in the heat Of the sun Or
in the bake oven that there Is nothing left
that is really objectionable, and nice,
crispy article of food results This tastes
sweet of itself and something like ginger
snaps. The natives usually sweeten the
grasshoppers more by using a sprinkling of
brown sugar. Then the confectioners make
up grasshopper with sugar, chocolate trim
mings and colored candies in such a way
that IA very nice tasting piece of confection-
cry is obtained.
The housewife of the Philippines takes
considerable delight In placing before you =