Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-01-10
USE OF THE CONDIMENTS.
Stimulate Appetite by Giving Flavor
to TasteIess Food.


to Tasteless Food.
While it cannot be said that the use
of condiments in the daily dietary has
found a complete chemical or physio-
logical explanation, yet it is, of course,
broadly known that in many cases
they are essential constituents, for
they improve the flavor Of more or
less tasteless foods and, indeed, pro-
mote digestion by exciting the flow Of
the various digestive secretions, says
the Lancet. Flavor is undoubtedly
great promoter of digestive success. 1t
is not quite clear, however why, for
example, a person takes mustard with
ham or other foods. In generaliZing,
however, it would appear that condi-
ments are chosen to accompany those
foods which are less digestible or
which are richer than others. Mutton,
for example, is more digestible than
beef, pork or duck and it is to these
three that mustard is generally added.
Vinegar, again, is known to soften the
hard fiber of both meat and vegeta-
bles; hence, it probably renders such
food as crab, lobster, salmon, salads,
red cabbage and walnuts less tough
and more digestible. Vinegar in dress
ing and sauces probably has a similar
action.
AS a rule the increased amount of
soluble or eXtractive matters in food
is in direct relation to it's digestibility
nd hi yaI No 4Lo
tractive principles are in themselves
nourishing, but because they are appe-
tizing and promote the flow of digest
| i've juices. TO the man with robust
appetite the presence Of tasty extract
| ives or the use Of condiments is prob
| ably superfuous. Hunger is the best
sauce, but failing hunger the appetite
must be coaxed and herein lies the
| true uses of sauces, condiments and
other aids
The abuse of condiments has its at
tendant evils. The excessive use of
vinegar is calculated to lead to an
anemic condition, while it has an I'M
| favorable influence on govt Some
! silly women take vinegar to produce
pale complexion. Similarly, a free
| Indulgence in pepper or mustard,
| which are both irritants, is likely to
have an irritating effect upon the or
| gans of secretion. On the other hand,
their moderate indulgence promotes
| digestion, for they act as carmina-
tives. Highly savory dishes are in
| compatible with good digestion, and
the prevailing preference for literally
| garnished ''messes' instead of plain,
simple food is to be deplored.
Salt is perhaps the commonest con-
| diment of all, and yet man practically
stands alone among animals as reg
uIar consumer of it in the more or
less pure state and as definite adj
| junct to his food. Salt is present in
| most foods, but the amount in the
| majority of cases would not appear to
| satisfy mans needs or he would not
| inStinctiyely add more. Moreover, salt
may not necessarily exist in the free
state Of foods of natural origin, but
may be loosely combined with organ
ic constituents. There can be little
doubt that salt plays greater part
| than that of a mere condiment in the
body, for it possesses solvent powers
| which, besides drawing OUT the fla
vor of food, facilitate the absorption
| more particularly of proteids, and
| thus increase tissue metabolism. The
pleasures of feeding would be very de-
eidedly diminished if salt and condi-
ments would be banished from our ia
bles. 1t is noteworthy, moreover, that
! among condiments, most of them,
while favoring the digestive process
es, are antiseptic, SO that their action
tends to counterfeit any disposition to
undesirable fermentation.