The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1911-07-07
A FEAST IN SAMOA
Develops Into a CongIomerated
Scramble For Food.
A SCENE OF WILD DISORDER.
Tho Native Guests Steal All the Eat.
abIes Within Reach, Which They
Pass Over to Crowds of Waiting
Relatives Gathered on the Outside.

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 "Fa Samoa"
would not appeal very strongly to an
epicurean tnste, for they are gathered
unripe and baked under heated stones,
as all Samoan cooking is accomplished.
A baked green banana favors some
what n roasted chestnut, but not
enough to cause any mistake between
the two.
The breadfruit, in my estimation,
appeals moro strongly to a white
mans taste than any other Samoan
food. The large, mealy balls are bak-
cd, broken open and eaten, usually
with one or other of the two Samoan
sauces palusami and fai-ai. Palu-
SAINT Is made from the young shoots
Of tho tnro plant, cocoanut milk
and sea water, Tai-ai Is evapornted
cocoanut milk. The milk Is poured
into leaf, tho ends and edges tied at
the top, and It Is then baked until the
water evaporates, leaving thick
cream, which is very rich and quite
palatable. Faro is tho root or bulb
of plant which Is an exact counter
part of what We call elephant eur" In
tho United Stntes and Is somewhat
like yam. but inclined to be stingy
or shreddy. Tho inside of n baked faro
bulb is very solid and of blush tint.
The fish needs no explanation.
Pork is the supreme delicacy. accord
Ing to tho Samoan mind. and It is al
ways eaten In half cooked state.
Since Samoan will sell his birthright
for n piece of pig, one-half grown is
worth $40 or $40 and will always find
q market; therefore II Is easily seen
that pork can be afforded only on hol-
OF killing pig Is unique. The ami
mails feet are tied together, and 1t is
laid upon its back. Then two large,
heavy natives place by 4 scantling
across its neck, after which they sent
themselves ono on each end of the
scantllng.
As the unfortunate pig Is slowly
stranglcd TO death his heartless execu-
TONERS calmly talk politics. Tho rem
son for strnngulatlon In putting hog
to death Is simply this: A pig Is held
I'm such high esteem that IL breaks the
Samoan heart TO see even the blood
being wasted. The blood Is used in
conjunction with the fatty parts Of the
entraiis and when baked forms some
kind OF pudding. have never tast-
ed this kind of pudding myself, but n
Samoan will tell you that 1t Is simply
delicious. and am willing to take his
word for It. Even the cleaned entrails
are utilized. and right here In Samoa
we can again bring into use the Chi
cago stockyard phrase that "only the
squeal IL lost"
| well remember the first and only
Samoan feast | ever had the pleas
ure of attending. | received an invf-
tation one day from Samoan whose
friendship | had formed to attend
feast tho following night which he
was giving TO dedicate his new home.
There were several white men present
and about fifty natives. We We're ar
ranged In two rows facing each other,
sitting cross legged, and In front OF
each was small mat on which was q
profusion of food, including a lupe
Tor pigeon, piece of pork palusamD.
taro tbreadfruiU-in fact. everything
which goes to make Samoan feast
| oil to be washed down with cocoanut
milk. had taken two or three
mouthfuls of the pigeon when l no
ticed that there was ring Of natives
each with basket waiting impatiently
Just outside the house. AS turned to
the man on my right for the purpose
of asking why these people were as
sembled outside l sensed movement
In close proximity on my left Turning
quickly around, | was just In time to
catch a farewell glimpse of my fine
supper being dumped bodily into one
Of those Whiting baskets. / saw at
once the reason for that overflow meet
ing outside The woman who sat next
TO me had taken favorable opportu-
nifty when my back was turned to pick
up my mat and dispose Of my meal to
her waiting relative. who had attend
ed the overflow meeting with a bas-
ket
Then ensued a conglomerated scram-
BILE, and the feast was turned into a
scene of wild disorder as each native
strove to Guido his neighbor In secur-
ing the most food to send home. The
strategy, flank movements and tact
that they exhibited under the inspiring
grab game SO far provoked my comedy
bump that was more than repaid for
the loss of my supper In watching
their energetic struggles to obtain food
gratis.
| was afterward Informed that the
spectacle | had witnessed was simply
the natural course of a Samoan feast,
that they always ended the same way
and | was indeed fortunate to have
secured a taste or 80 of my pigeon
Los Angeles Times.