Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1908-08-12
EATS CHINESE DINNER
DR.. EDWORDS DOES NOT RELISH DELI.
CIOUS VIANDS OF THE OCCIDENT.
Same Air of Dirt and Unsanitary Conditions
Prevalent at Dining Places Of the
Wealthy as in the Streets Among
the Lower Classes.

partaken or = genuine Chinese dim
ner, eaten in the home of Chinese
gentleman of high class, and you may
take my word for it that the expert
ence is not what / would recommend
to anyone unless it were for the same
reason that l took it-curiosity. 1
have had lot to say in my former
letters regarding the general unclean-
ness of all things Chinese. and when 1
was invited to dinner in the home of
a wealthy Chinese thought would
find something different / was dis
appointed. not only in that respect but
in others. When reached the house
with the friend through whom the in
vitation came to me I was ushered in
to bleak and almost bare room, with
dirt floor and scant furniture. Out
side a cold rain was falling and the
interior of the house was so cold that
l was compelled to keep on my heavy
ulster overcoat, and stamp my feet to
keep warm.
The floor of the room looked as if it
had not been swept for ages, and with
every person that came in from the
street tramping more mud it can be
imagined that the dirt floor was not
in a very presentable condition. We
sat in this cold room for nearly two
hours before dinner was served. We
were ushered into what might be
termed the library. for there were a
few books on some shelves, and four
of us sat at table. The first guest OF
honor sat opposite the host, the second
guest at the hosts right and the third
opposite the second. No women sit at
the table in China.
Wine and oranges were first served.
The wine,' a sake, was much finer than
any 1 had tasted in Japan. These
dishes of food were placed around the
table symetrically. and each person
helped himself from the central
dishes. there being no dish or plate
for the individual. When rice was
served it was in individual bowls.
Following the orange came water
chestnut, served crisp and with de-
licious flavor Then came peanuts,
fried in oil and served cold. These
were better than any peanuts ever
tasted at home, and 1 would advise
my readers to try them. Next came
watermelon seed, which l found in-
sipid and tasteless. 1 cannot under
stand why the Chinese consider them
a delicacy.
Then was served something, the
taste and memory of which fingers
with me yet, and almost gag when
I think of it. 1t was a goose egg four
years old. just what periods of de-
composition and chemical change it
had undergone am unable to say, but
it had a flavor that did not get rid
of for days. A friend of mine said it
tasted like the scrapings of a charnel
house. How he knows 1 did not find
out, but never having tasted the
scrapings mentioned 1 am unable to
say. 1t certainly tasted bad enough
to he anything CHASTITY.
Next came salted chicken followed
by salt pork. both good and palatable.
the chicken especially so. This was
followed by clover leaf and bamboo,
served as spinach. and with deli
cious flavor. Sharks fin in gelatin
Gus mass came after fish served in a
rich gravy. The tish was better than
any l have ever tasted, and the
sharks fin was so good that 1 wanted
more. but etiquette prevented my
asking for it. Having begun the
meal with the dessert it was natural
that it should end with soup, and it
VISA served in bowls. without spoons.
twas thin, curdled bean soup, very
)oor in flavor. Then came the inevit-
'ble rice, boiled.with neither sugar
lor salt. but tasting good. This was
erved in beautiful lacquer bowls,
ust as it was served in Japan.
The chicken was taken in the
lnRers from the general. bowl, and
IS l got leg for my share was at
oss to know what to do with the
one, as there was no bone dish and
did not want to put it on the
olished table. asked my host
vhat to do with the bone, and he
aid to throw it ON the floor. The
oor. dirt one, served every purpose
rom slop jar to cuspidor. so suppose
ne more bone did not make much
Inference. In fact l could see a
lumber Of bones left from former
inners, so l suppose that the custom
ad been followed so long that if one
we're to dig under the top dirt he
would find inumerable bones from
ong past feasts. While this was
inner above the ordinary, and in the
ouse OF wealthy Chinese, it was
etter than the general run of dinners
erved in the same house, for it was q