Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-06
QUEER MEATS For FOOD
NAr1onAL1r1rs HrrrR AS TO
WHAT rs EDIBLE.
snails Are Now Eaten inI London, but
Frogs Are NotTBear and
Camel Meat.

The popular prejudice against snails is in
comprehensive when the favor of oysters
periwinkles. mussels and eo3kles Is consid-
cred. In many London restaurants, par
ticularly in Soho, snails now figure on the
daily menu. This is an imported taste
from France, but in the west country snails
are highly esteemed by the lower classes
year or two ago clergyman cited as an
illustration of poverty in Bristol that he
had seen working girls pick snaiIs off a
wall and eat them.
AS matter of fact the snail is extensive
1y eaten In Somerset and Gloucestershlre
both as a dainty and medicine There
are men who make living by collecting
srails and selling them under the name OF
wall fish, Boiled in their shells they are
picked out and eaten with bread and but
ter, being accounted great luxury and
very nourishing In pulmonary diseases
they popularity rank as a specific
Frogs are another dainty which prejudice
denies to the Englishman, though in the
United States and Canada they are esteem
ed as highly as in France. Spasmodically
sturgeon is offered for sale in London
and the accident of its capture affords
novel dish which should not be passed by,
for 1T is generally sold at Sd pound Cut
and cooked as a outlet it tastes rather like
veal, without suspicion of fish about ii.
Crocodile Steak.
In Germany bears flesh is greatly favor
ed, and smoked bear tongues, hams and
sausages are both appetizing and expen-
sive. Ever since Paris in the siege of 1870
II, was driven to eating up the animals at
the zoo camels flesh has been demanded by
French gourmets. Remarkably like beef
in appearance. it is as tender as veal and
mere are Parfsians who import it regularly
from Algeria. On the same testimony lion
steaks are reported to be only moderate
eating. while tiger Is both tough and
sinewy. Jaguar flesh, however, is delight
fully white and toothsome, and ailigators
ana crocodiles provide a meal of the most
delicate flavor, midway between that Of
veal and pork.
Beef and mutton, with pork. so entirely
make up the menu that we actually regard
lamb and veal as distinct dishes Why
should not goat flesh be introduced into
the bill of fare? 1t is good eating, as Rob-
1nson Crusoe and Don Juan testify. In
france It IS largely eaten, Paris alone re-
curing 100000 goats annually for the table.
Our nefghbors also enjoy the donkey, whose
flesh. when killed young, resembles that
OF the turkey, though Of much finer flavor
Though "a hippophagfc banquet arranged
by the late Sir Henry Thompson was held
IN London some years ago, it Is still almost
dangerous to suggest horse flesh to an En-
glishman as food. In reality 1t is very ex-
cellent eating, and only prejudice can gain
say the fact. Old and wornout horses can
not afford either nourishing or palatable
meat. but that of horse reared like an
OK, for the, table. has finer fiber and
flavor than beef though darker In color
1t is served in the best French restaurants,
as well as being largely eaten by the people.
The Cat Misjudged.
'It was in Paris wrote Mr.. vandam.
the author of IAN Englishman in Paris.''
that learned how the cat had been mis-
judged Call the dog the friend of man
If you like, but don't eat him. Fry him,
stew, boil or bake him. do what you will,
his flesh Is and remains oily and fiabby.
with strong flavor Of castor oil. But
l declare that stewed puss is far finer than
stewed rabbit" l5ga6
This testimony the writer can personally
corroborate, having recently been invited
to dinner given by gourmet of eccentric
tastes. The dish of the evening was s'.Chat
aux Cham pignons.f Sea kedI in white vine-
gar with aromatic herbs and cooked in red
WINE, the cat. made most, savory dish,
and after the prejudice of the first mouth
full one was bound to admit it's succuIence
and flavor. The same verdict must be given
for rat pie by any who have eaten it. At
threshing time in the north country some
FARMERS capture and convert the rats from
the rtcks into stew or pie. Thus cooked
the granted rat is as dainty as the pigeon
On this point both the naturalists Frank
auckland and the Rev ]. G. Wood agreed.
Another neglected article of food is the
guinea pig. Were the edible virtues of the
hedge hog known it would rival ortolans
in epicurean favor As cooked in rural
England it is delicious. The correct way
is to incase the hedge hog, bristles and all,
with a thick coat of soft clay, and place
1t in the glowing embers of fire to bake
The bristles and skin come off with the
hardened clay, leaving the tenderest and
most delicate meat imaginable.
To make bonny squirrel into stew may
seem refinement of selfish cruelty, but
such ideas rarely trouble the rustic. and
the dish is as memorable as appetizing
Snakes. being rare in England are almost
unknown as food, but in southern France
there is snake which is extensively sold
prepared for cooking under the name of
hedge eel. Indeed those who enjoy cells
can scarcely shudderia at stewed snake
Frank Buckland once dined Off a boa con-
strictor, and heartily enjoyed 1t, the flesh
being exceedingly white and firm, not I'M
like veal in taste tS