The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-07-20
A Vast Difference IN the Food Eaten
by the Rich and Poor Classes in
the Oriental Country.
MOY KEE HAS a NEW CEEF
HE TALKS AT LENGTH CONCERNING
HIS PROFESSION.
The Chinese Use Pork in Many Diaer-
ent F~ormS-Tea Almost the
Only Beverage.

When Moy Kee. the one Indianapolis
Chinaman Of high caste and education,
started a little Chinese restaurant on East
Washington street he was not thoroughly
convinced that his new enterprise would
meet with success. but. as he says himself.
he decided TO give the thing a trial. any
way, and to trust TO his ability as a shrewd
business man TO win out" in the end.
And 1t seems that Moy Kee is winning out.
for during the last week he has had sew
eral Caucasian workmen busily engaged IN
remodeling the interior Of his little eating
house and otherwise improving its general
appearance. One sultry afternoon a few
days ago Moy Kee-who, by the way,
greatly resembles the comic opera COM
edian, Louis Harrison. as ne used 10 ap-
pear in ''The Pearl of Peking'-was dis
covered by a newspaper man husting
about energetically but noiselessly among
a debris of discarded Oriental lanterns and
other decorations that has just been taken
down from the walls. giving orders 10 the
workmen high up on the st%epladders over
his head, while little Mrs. Moy Kee, the
pride of Indianapolis Chinatown, sat on
q high three-legged stool. her tiny feet
perched on the top round well out OF reach
of the dusty floor as she surveyed with
wide-open almond eyes the transformation
scene that was gradually taking place.
Yes. business had been good, Moy Kee
was happy to say. Indianapolis people had
taken kindly TO the novelty of eating real
Chinese dishes and drinking the right sort
of Chinese tea. He might have added that
they had also shown considerable good
nature i'm paying the high price that he
asks for a dish of chop suey," but he was
silent concerning hat subject. In San
Francisco. Chicago or New York. where
this famous Chinese culinary preparation
has become very popular. you can get your
dish of chop suey for . cents, and the tea
is given you gratis for good measure. Moy
Kee asks double this price, and gets IL.
But then he has no opposition in the ORR
entail restaurant business. Besides, busi-
ness is business.
A NEW COOK.
And then, in the course of conversation.
Moy Kee let out the great secret. while
Mrs. Moy Kee smiled brightly from ner
''topside" seat. as one of the Monaghan
employees called it. The restaurant had "A
new cook.-"a professional Chinese cook
from San Francisco" as the proud little
proprietor explained. land one Of the best
in the country" And the new cook was
produced on the ~spot-brought forth from
the mysterious kitchen with the odors of
a thousand fries and boilings and bakngs
clinging steadfastly TO his loose. blue
blouse and his spacious white trousers.
His name was Moy Hon. he said-not the
Chinaman of similar cognomen that used
TO live in Indianapolis-oh, dear. no,-but
another Moy Hon, land a much better
one" his eyes seemed TO add. He had
cooked in San Fransisco's Chinatown, at
one of the best restaurants on Dupont
street, he went on to say Gin his own way,
Of course.) and he had cooked for private
families up on the hills where the rich
people lived, and where he was paid a
salary OF sixty dollars a month. And now
he had come East TO cook for his old
friend, Moy Kee. and to show indianapolis
people what an art Chinese cooking really
is. Just why he had given up that sixty
dollar job he didn't say. But he has his
good reasons, no doubt. The Chinese are
too mercenary a people to neglect pecuni-
airy opportunities. It's safe 10 say. though,
that Moy Hon doesn't get his sixty in these
parts.
With the valued assistance Of the res
taurant proprietor. who speaks as good
English as does any merchant prince in
San Francisco's Monaghan settlement,
Moy Hon gave out some information re-
garding Chinese cooking that proved in
teresting. The three-cornered conversa-
ton cannot be set down here just as it
took place. without getting the compositors
into trouble, and will have 10 be recorded
with the rich Canton dialect left out. In
the first place Moy Hon says that IL is
all a mistake for Caucasions TO assume
that all Chinese eat such things as rats
and lizards, as there is a vast difference
existing between the food OF the several
classes OF Chinese society. In variety and
abundance. he says. the diet OF the well-to-
do Chinese will compare with that Of the
people Of any other country while. on the
other hand. the poorest class will eat some
things that are looked upon as garbage
and refused by Americans.
CULTIVATED GRAINS.
The grains which are cultivated in Chi
ma" continued the little cook through his
Interpreter. ARE principally rice. wheat
and millet. although rye and maize are 10
be found in the markets OF Canton at GER
tain seasons Of the year. Oats and barley
are raised in very small quantities. as the
Chinese do not regard them as Mt for hu-
man beings 10 eat. All Cinnamon are fond
OF garden plants and cultivate most OF
them. There are many varieties OF cabbage
grown in China. and the people give more
attention 10 this than any other garden
vegetable. The most common Is called
pin tsae.' or white greens. on account or
its being blanched. IL more resembles kale
than cabbage. and does not form a head.
These plants sometimes weigh fifteen OF
twenty pounds and grow 10 be three feet
high. When eaten raw this cabbage Is not
inferior TO lettuce as a salad. and when
boiled the taste resembles asparagus.
Sometimes We pickle il like the German
sauer kraut. but more often fry 4 In oil l
wish We had some of these vegetables here
in indianapolis 10 offer 10 our patrons. as.
next 10 rice. they form the favorite food
OF China among all classes.
Onions and garlic we use abundantly In
our cooking. prepared in many ways. as
picking. frying and boiling. besides being
used in the preparation OF such dishes as
chop suey and for seasoning purposes. our
people are partial TO the preserves Of fruits
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