Daily Kennebec journal., 1902-10-16
THE MARKET IN HAVANA. (
Picturesque Cooks, Unfamiliar Fruits
and Live Fish Seen There.

and Live Fish Seen There.
Inc Havana market is crowded a
dayoreak by Spanish, French, Chimes,
and colored cooks OF both sexes. Som,
lchefs. who affect the dignity of a coat
are accompanied by their apprentice
F scuilions. who carry baskets. Span
sh cooks. who usually are employed il
scond-class restaurants. wear fiat, ret
Woolen caps. and shuttle along slipshoC
Wph their baskets slung over thei
shnlders. while oblique-eyed Chimes,
Wear all sorts of queer headgear, loos.
troti-ers and blouses. Colored womel
don 4andanas. which lend dash O
copr V the scene, as they waddle alonf
througa the market, their fat side.
shaking with laughter. while they
polsterolfiy greet their friends as they
go from sall to stall. haggling with tn,
marker nisn. Marketing is always dom
py COOKS In cooks IN Havana, becaus.
employers are aware that they c;n
urlVe better bargain, even taking m
10 account the perquisites allowed
them by trad.speople
Golden. Juicy oranges are synclatri-
cally piled On the stalls, flankedi by
punches cf luscious yellow and red
baranas. and nut,rown zapotoes which
outwardly resemble an Irish potato,
tbut contain a luscDus pulp inside that
htones for their ugly exterior. Mann
| yes are rich. dark red fruit, incased
| a rind resembling bark. Besides
| tese fruits there are roseapples with
IN perfume of the rose, fragrant pine
aples. pomegranates. fresh figs, red Of
WhNe guavas, star apples, almonds
/ -tainrinds. anones. manoneillos, alli-
cato pears and guanahanas The lasu
haVesi p-ic<iy green rind and n white
pulp IKE cotton wool, with black seeds.
a mos juicy and refreshing fruit. often
| used ala refreshing drink. Cubans ars,
fond o cooling drinks. made of all
monds. yuanabanas, or tamarinds, and
rarely IKE any other beverage fo.I
their lii.fheons.
Green Acoanuts contain q sweed
liquid likeWater. AS we'll as soft white
pulp. Otter tropical fruits which
abound in Tuba are mongoes, chri1
moyas andciruelas, which arc juicil
ard sweet. Fish caught in Cuban wa
terS are esnaially nice, and the pargS !
some. as is be cherna, which lasts |
like salmon. 10 Havana cook will BIZ |
fisn unless thel are alive, and the Gh !
market with tiAtanks full of fresh fSh. |
with white marie slabs and scales is
Very picturesque The other sea pod
is also excellent. although the shrinps.
Holsters. ana mttsles the somewhat
small. The oystes grow on the sub
merged branches IF shrubs and trees
on the coast. TNese br:tn,hes are
broken of and aoliin the market, but |
The Cuban oysters are small and in
ferior to the American. Terrapia and
turtles are very fine, and tu-toises havfl
handsome shells. wi1ch bring a good
price in the market Sea crabs and
land crabs are also good. The latter
grow to a large size. and tleir bodies
stand high from the aouni on their
enormous claws. Land crals burroU
in holes, and their loconotion ISL
clumsy, sounding like that ofa drunk
on man. Cooks feed these crabs 4n
corn meal for several days before th&
cock them, as this makes ths!n mof
palatable.
\ favcrite way of fattcning poultIr
stuff them with walnuts and com med
}for several days before they are killet
hist before Christmas turkeys ar
Aiven through the streets in droves II
finn 20 10 l00 frcm door to door, f.
pople to make their own selectidyl
/ Ths custom furnished the Spanih
poe Salvador Ruida, with a theme f. |
a Ctitmas song. Guinea hens. mou-
tain tats and a variety OF small bis
afforGpienty OF game for sportsmeDa
Cuba.\ |
Eeefis killed the day before iii
used. 70 it cannot be kept fresh lofer
than ON day on account of the eyes
sive heat
When te cook returns from the iar-
ket his rieence is made known t'the
household v souacking ducks, caGlinS
hens or sotaling pigs, fer all sucfliVe
stock are fought from the maket,
and tncy eNpstulate angrily on lein;;
carried aroua III such close quaters.
And pigeons I'D doves. with softeyes,
utter coo!g. plaintive not. as
though with asad foreboding ! the
tragic fate in sore for them.
American coolsy IS almost unfnowa
in Cuba. and TIN fE-orite cuishe is
French. Spanish " Cuban Good
cocks command fgh wages. F,mili4a
require two or mEe Iervants. Accord ;
ing to their meNs because every
branch of domestic sesice is separate
4 cook only attenat his kitchen.
waitress TO her tabl. md a iaundress
10, rf1,pnt Nv