The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-06-16
ODD THINGS USEDAS FOOD
Animals Were Once Tortured
to Make Flesh Tender.
WHITE ANTS AS A DAINTY.
Baked Elephants Foot Said to BE De-
licious--A Salad Made OF Tree
Observation-Disclosures Said to Taste
Like Chicken--Shark Fin a Pop.
ular Chinese Dish.


Like Chlcken--shark Fin a Pop.
ular Chinese Dish.
In our own country. while there are
no cities given to making a specially
Of cookery and epicurean dishes like
lark tongues and other great dishes
of the Lucullian feasts in old Rome,
yet there are two cities noted for a
great variety of special dishes or food
that can be obtained readily In any
other section of the Union.
Germany is eating horse. A ten
course dinner of Algerian lion was
served by a Partisan Tartarian. who
basely bought instead of shooting the
game. Monkey is said to be excellent
with a far away flavor or rabbit, but
many diameteres more savory. Still,
monkey eating is cannibalism, II our
ancestors really were arboreal in their
, habits.
An English traveller and game bag
ger in Africa swore than baked ele-
phant foot was dainty dish TO set
before a king. DR.. Livingstone, In
speaking of breakfast of elephants
foot cooked for him in native fashion
! and which he very much enjoyed,
said: ut was a royal feast and |
found II delicious"
The natives of nearly all parts OF
Africa are exceedingly fond of white
ants as a dish.
When the white ants cast off their
colony of winged emigrants, canopy
Is erected like an umbrella over the
ant hill. AS soon as ants fly against
the roof they tumble down in show
or, and their wings instantly become
detached from their bodies. They are
then helpless, and are swept up in
baskets to be fried, when they make
a very palatable food.
Another Bnglishman-why is It al
ways an Englishman to whom these
original and courageous tastes are at
tributed?--an Englishman averred
that boa constructor, properly cooked.
was better than the best veal, being
nearly all breast. And yet the boa
constructor has no mercy on the calf.
This recalls some curious and cruel
customs of our English forefathers
.
flying processes, In order that their
flesh should be made tender by mus
cular agony and mental distress. II
is probable that the struggles of a
creature slowly killed by a torture
soften its muscles. The flesh of a
hunted hare is more tender than the
flesh of hare shot unawares.
Bulls were baited with dogs. not SO
much for the barbarous pleasure OF
witnessing brutal conflicts as for the
inteneration Of the beef. which would
have been less eatabe had the ami
mails been killed quickly with knife
and bludgeon. While bull batting was
still sanctioned in England as whole
some culinary process, our ancestors
lntenerated pigs by whipping them &c
death. treatment that produced the
requisite bodily commissions and men.
tai distress in the dying animals
Hence IL was usual with the old Eng
lish to fly hawk at barndoor poultry
and "crammed birds"
While tho French menagere will
rave over dozen snails served in the
she'll the dainty Japanese will quietly
relish her wishinako and bowl of chic.
chic. and the practical German haus
frau surprises her husband with the
juciest roast pork and picked pigs
feet on the side.
Goulash with plenty Of paprika II
the Hungarian's delight, while the
dark eyed daughters OF Italy will moi
be happy unless they can offer Their
families a genuine feast, including
checsed spaghetti or risetto. A fra
grant after dinner cigarette accompan'
led by very small glass of vodka Is
the usual indulgence of the Russian
woman after Thanksgiving dinner.
A French woman in New York find.
the greatest pleasure in cooking hel
husband a rabbit that has been ex
posed to the air until it takes on q
certain gamy odor. To this delicacy
she adds some cocks combs fried in
sweet butter. On Christmas Day SHE
will serve monsieur some real tripe ol
dozen big vineyard snails. New Or
leans imports snails from France IL
barrels, protected by wire netting Il
prevent this succulent article of die
from creeping out.
Shark fin is popular dish with thu
Chinese and few old seamen. Coy
chez Sharks fin, fried or in soup,
and birds nest soup are common items
on a Chinese menu card.
A dish made of the stomach of {
reindeer or seal, and mixed with sea
oil is the Equimau substitute for ic'
cream.
The flesh of the rattler is also per
rectly wholesome and toothsome, hay
Ing a flavor, like the flesh of mos
snakes, like chicken.
! Travellers in Africa have told how
natives communicate intellieentIy ovel