The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-07-10
AFEAST IN SAMOA
Develops Into a Congiomeratsd
Scramble For Food.
A SCENE OF WILD DISORDER.

aples Withln reach, winch they
Pass Over to Crowds Of Waiting
Relatives Gathered on the Outside.
The principal native FOODS OF Samoa
are bananas, breadfruit, taro, fish and
pork. Bananas prepared ia Samoa"
would not appeal very strongly to an
epicursan taste. for they are gathered
unripe and baked under heated stones.
as all Samoan cooking Il accomplished.
A baked green banana favors some
what roasted chestnut, but not
enough to cause any mistake between
the two.
The breadfruft, In my estimation,
appeals more strongly to white
mans taste than any other Samoan
food The large. mesly balls are balt-
Cd. txOAen open and eaten, usually
with ons or other Of the two Samoan
sauces pahlsami and fAi-si. Palu-
sami is made from the young shoots
OF the taro plant. ooooanut milk
and sea water, Fai-ai Is eyap0rated
cocoanut milk. The milk 10 poured
into leaf, the ends and edges tied al
the top, and II Is then baked until the
water svaporates, leaving thick
cream, which is very rich and quite
palatable. Faro Is the root or bulb
OF plant which 10 an exact counter
part OF what We cali elephant ear" IN
the United STATES and is somewhat
like q yam, but inclined to be stingy
or shreddy. The inside Of a baked faro
bulb Is very solid and Of blush tint.
The Ash needs no explanation.
Pork Is the supreme delicacy, accord.
ing to the Samoan mind. and II Is al.
ways eateo In halls cooked state.
Since q Samoan will sell his birthright
for piece OF pig, one-half grown "a
worth $50 or so ana will always ana
q market therefore It "a easily seen
that pork can be afforded only on hol-
iday occasions. The Samoan method
OF killing pig Il unique. The ami.
mails feet are tied together, and It is
laid upon its back Then two large.
heavy natives place q 2 by scantiing
ACROSS It's neck. after which they seat
themselves one on each end Of the
scantiing.
As the unfortunate pig Is slowly
strangled to death his heartless execu-
TONERS calmly talk politics The rea-
son for strangulation In putting a hog
TO death Ia simply this: A pig is held
In such high esteem that It breaks the
Samoan heart to see even the blood
being wasted. Tue blood is used In
conjunction with the fatty parts OF the
entrails and when baked fsrms some
kind OF pudding have never tast.
ed this kind of pudding myself, but q
Samoan will tell you that II Is SIMPLY
delicious. and | am willing to take his
word for II. Even the cleaned entrails
are utilized. and right here In Samoa
we can again bring into use the Chi.
caeo stockyard phrase that "only the
squeai Is lost"
well remember the nrst and only
Samoan feast ever had the pleas
ure OF attending received an invi.
tation one day from a Samoan whose
friendship bed formed TO attend g
feast the following night which DO
was giving to dedicate his new home
There were several white men present
and about atty natives We were ar
ranged In two rows facing each other,
sitting cruss legged. aud In mont OF
each wac q small mat on which was o
profusion OF food. including a lupe
(or pigeon. a piece Of pork (pslusani),
taro (breadfruitl-in fact. everything
which goes to make a Samoan feast
all 70 DO washed down with cocoanut
milk. had taken two or three
mouthfuls Of the pigeon when l no
ticed that there was q ring OF natives
each with a basket waiting impauenuy
just outside the house. AZ turned 90
tho man on my right for the purpose
OF asking why these people we're a.
sembled outside senssd a movement
IN close proximity on my left Turning
quickly around. was just In time TO
catch a farewell glimpso u my One
supper being dumped bodily into one
Of those waiting baskets. saw at
once the reason for that oyernew meet.
ing outside. The woman who sat next
to me bad taken a favorable opportu.
nifty when my bach was turned to pick
I'D my mat and dispose Of my meal 10
her waiting relative, who had Gttsud.
"a the overflow meeting with a bas.
kst
Then ensued conglomerated scrar.
BILE. and the feast was turned into a
scene Of Wild disorder as each native
Nrovs 30 Guido bis nsghbor In sscur.
ing this most food to send homo. The
strategy, nank movements and tact
that they exhibited under the inspiring
grab game 30 far provoked my comedy
bump that ! was more than repaid Tor
ths loas Of my supper In watching
their energetic struggles to obtain food
gratis.
] was afterwsrd Informed that the
spectacle had Witnessed was simply
the natural course OF Samoan feast
that they always ended the same way
aud | was indeed fortunate to have
secured a taste or 30 OF my pigeon
Los Angeles Times
The indispensable Boy.