The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-08-18
THE DAINTIEST DISH
GREEN TURTLE, PRIDE OF THE COOK
AND JOY OF THE EPlCURE.

This Unequnled Food Dencacy IL Nell
ther Fish Nor Flesh Nor Fowl, and
Yet 1t Is All These and MOre-Turn-
ing and Pcgging the Turtle.
When the purveyor to the human
race gave mankind the green turtle OF
the south seas he certainly provided
the one unequaled food delicacy OF
the universe-the green turtle, known
to every epicure, the Joy and pride OF
the cook, the greatest delight Of the
fishmonger, who proudly displays the
great chelonian of the warm waters at
the door Of his shop and after disposlng
Of the edible portion keeps the huge
shell as q sign to guide lovers of good
cheer to a place where it can be OBJ
| tanned.
The green turtle shell is the patent OF
nobility to the vender Of sea food. 1t
is proof positive that he has or did have
the ne plus ultra of epicurean treats,
and standing boldly beside the door or
in the center Of the show window the
armor of the sea turtle delights the eye
long after bis palate tickling flesh and
dainty semitransparent green fat have
gone to enlarge the board Of aldermen
or give strength to the invalid. There
is no more perfect food known. 1t is
rejuvenating, stimulating and strength
giving. Oh, that it were not at the
same time govt giving! Alas, no truly
great dish is without it's sting. Green
turtle must be partaken Of sparingly
by the fat man who would avoid the
twinges of the only aristocratic ailment
of man.
Born in the hot sands of some trop-
ical island, nurtured on the daintiest OF
the submarine coral groves, this aris-
tocrat Of the deep develops a substance
neither fish, flesh nor fowl and yet all
these and more
The subtropical and tropical islands
of northern South and southern North
America are the favorite Matching
grounds, and the warm waters washing
these coral reefed shores are brooders
Of the true food turtle, the green turtle.
If found on the Atlantic ocean side he
Is Of the genus Chelonia midas, while
If found in the south Pacific the same
testudinate reptile becomes Chelon1a
virgata and is apparently just as we'll
contented as his eastern brother.
The eggs Of the green turtle are
greatly priced by those who dwell In
or visit the turtle islands and shores.
They are quite round and covered with
a parchment-like skin, very tough and
capable Of being boiled for hours with
out becoming tender or more easily
broken. Turtle eggs boiled four hours
and served with the meat balls are
among the most highly esteemed foods
Of the south sea islands. The fisher
men Of the Florida keys, hunters and
tourists who partake Of turtle balls
and eggs are invariably enthusiastic in
praise Of the most difficult dish to OBJ
tain in the north, the chief reason for
its scarcity being the fact that most
of the turtles caught for shipment
here are turned or pegged just after
laying.
The green turtle is captured entirely
by turning on the sand or pegging.
Turtle hunting along the broad sandy
beaches Of a tropical island is rare
sport, and whenever a city man Is IA
vored with an opportunity to join a
hunt it is safe to say he Is not likely
to forget the experience.
The hunters usually start with the
first gray Of morning along an unfre-
quented beach and, keeping close to
the waters edge are on the alert for
game both in the water and on the
sand. Occasionally a hiss like the
sound Of escaping steam warns the
hunters that the game is near. slowly
swimming in shallow water looking
for a favorable place to establish
nest. Then it's down on the wet sand
and keep perfectly quiet until the tur-
tie has crawled up the beach to line
above high water mark and scOOped
out a hole about two feet deep in the
dry, hot sand and begun to lay her
eggs. During the laying the turtle
will not pay the slightest attention to
anything, and when finished she will
carefully CONSl III tAoNCo Va A4OA hSoS
by filing it with sand and scratching
the surface until even the expert hunt
er cannot locate it, so closely does 1t
resemble the undisturbed top sand Of
the upper beach or dunes. When the
eggs are all deposited and the nest
covered the turtle will make rush
for the water with such speed that it
takes at least two strong men to stop
and turn one of $50 or 800 pounds. The
track Of the animal from the waters
edge is a curious one, as the fippers
in action on the sand leave two rows
of tracks, where the sand Is only
slightly marked, the space between
the two being pressed fiat by the lower
she'll
Having discovered track the hunter
can tell at a glance whether the turtle
that has just passed over it Is going to
the nest or returning to the water. II
the latter, he contents himself with
going where he thinks the nest ought to
be and trying to find it by thrusting an