The Washington herald., 1910-10-16

/ 'Possum and raccoon are generally con
sidered pretty good eating in the United
States by folks Who wouldn't dream OF
tasting woodchuck. And yet. says .
writer in the American Boy. the wood
chuck is far more Clearly IN habits and
diet and is far better eating than either
OF the forme-
! Few people are aware that muskrats
/ are good 20 eat, and stiu more rare is the
man who eats skunk, yet both OF these
animals are excellent If properly cooked.
| Pork Is an important article OF food
with AngiO-SaxOn and Teutonic peoples.
and yet there are whole races which re-
gard it as absolutely unit for human con-
sumption The American Indians eat
many things which seem strange 20 tbs
white man. among them being snakes,
lizards. and grasshoppers.
| Snakes are not at all bad. once people
/ can overcome their natural prejudice. and
lizards are eaten in many parts Of the
world. Grasshoppers are said 10 make
/ excellent soup. to-be good fried or roast
ed, and many Indian tribes dry them and
grind them into flour
! Crickets are also dried and ground into
meal by Oregon and California Indians.
/ and ants are used 10 a large extent as
/ food by Indians and african tribes. The
! Samoan Islanders are very fond OF a
! species Of marine worm which appears
/ periodically al their islands. and the ma
! tives leave all other occupations 10 gather
! the harvest Of worms.
Ferns japanese Dainty.
/ In Japan ferns Of several kinds are
eaten 20 great extent. while burdock is
raised extensively for the taberous roots.
and seaweeds Of various kinds form an
! important article OF diet
| on the American coast there are numer-
! our edible seaweeds, but few people are
aware that they are edible and nutritious.
J II fact. the value Of sea animals and
plants as food is little known. and many
/ q white man would starve 20 death where
an Asiatic or South Sea Islander would
1 find abundant food If cast away on an
/ oceanic island.
/ Crabs. shrimp. sea shells, in fact, near
/ ly every marine creature is edible, while
/ the gigantic holothurians, or sea Gu
seas. are considered a great dellcacy by
many races, and the industry OF gather
ing drying and shipping these is very
important in the Malaysian and austria
Ian waters.
Dried and prepared for market these
creatures are known as beche-de-mer, and
bring good price in the japanese, Chi
nese, Greek. and Southern European mar
kets The octopus or devhsh is also
eaten extensively in China Japan.
| Greece. and West Indies. and when this
/ repUlsive looking creature IS pounded into
| q pulp and made into soup IL is really
excellent
Lizards DeIicacy.
In the West Indies the natives ara
fond OF the great tree lizards known as
iguanas. These creatures often grow %
five or six feet in length. and The meat
IS white. tender. and Favored much like
chicken.
in the West Indies there is a native
land frog which is considered a deli
cacy by natives and European visitors
alike These big tropical frogs are eaten
I whole. and are either fried. broiled. or
stewed. and taste so much ike chicken or
/ quail they are commonly called mountain
I chicken when served on hotel tables.
I The French and Italians consider snails
and slugs as daiHues Of the highest order,
while nirEred aarrHv0rr7s are a common
relish in Southern F.-are and Asia
In New Zealand there occurs q grub
which lives i'm the earth and which is
often affected nv a dungeons growth that
srrings from rhe grrb.s neck and pushes
-,nv-ard - the surface M the earth
These worm-growr mushrooms are gath
cred and eaten and are said 10 be very
delicious when properIy cooked.
Doubtless many other insects are edible.
and the Chinese even devour the chrysa-
lids OF thte silkuorm after the silk is un-
wound from the cocoon.
LiIv Pads Harvested.
MANY vegetables are eaten bv various
races that seem strange % Americans.
Bamboo- shoots taste like asparagus:
acorns and nine nuts are made into flour
and meal. csttau pollen IS used in cake
making bv Californian Indians. water lily
mods are harvested IN the urpe- AUssis-
sfnrf Valley. and clover. crane seeds. and
sunnover seeds are used in the same
way
In mani. ,ar+s NJ the American f-rpfrs
The natives gsr-er rre leaf bud or the
~o,al ,,.rr, and This rroar white. smooth.
,,.l,r5-,.sI mass IS sold as mountain cab
/ bs,-a and is cooked In q variety Of WAYS.
Stsv,e5 fried ar roasted II is splendid.
and eaten raw il tastes Ike fresh. crisp
csls-,- For each bud gathered a mag
49, --,., NAV 500 dozens of the tower
i,, 5.s5 Trunks thar once bore cr0v-ns
- 80. s-ear leaves hut which have