Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-11-13
AFEAST IN SAMOA
Develops Into a Conglomerate6
Scramble For Food.

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 taste, for they are gathered
unripe and baked under heated stones.
as all Samoan cooking is accomplished
A baked green banana favors some
what a roasted chestnut, but not
enough to cause any mista ke between
the two.
The breadfruit, IN my estimation.
appeals more strongly to a white
mans taste than any other Samoan
food The large, mealy balls are bak.
ed, broken open and eaten, usually
with one or other of the two Samoan
sauces palusami and fatal Palu-
sami is made from the young shoots
of the taro plant, cOcoanut milk
and sea water. Fatal Is evaporated
cocoanut milk The milk is poured
into a leaf, the ends and edges tied at
the top, and 1t is then baked until the
water evaporates, leaving a thick
cream, which is very rich and quite
palatable Faro is the root or bulb
of plant which is an exact counter
part of what we call elephant ear" in
the United States and is somewhat
like a yam, but inclined to be stingy
or shreddy. The inside of a baked faro
bulb is very solid and of blush tint
The fish needs no explanation.
Pork is the supreme delicacy, accord
ing to the Samoan mind. and 1t is al
ways eaten in a half cooked state
Since a Samoan will sell his birthright
for a piece Of pig. one-half grown is
worth $50 or $40 and will always find
a market; therefore II is easily seen
that pork can be afforded only on hOl-
iday occasions. The Samoan method
of killing a pig is unique. The ami
mails feet are tied together. and 1t Is
laid upon its back. Then two large.
heavy natives place 2 by 4 scantling
across it's neck. after which they seat
themselves one on each end OF the
scantlIng.
AS the unfortunate pig Is slowly
/ strangied to death his heartess eXecu-
TONERS calmly talk politics. The rea-
| son for strangulation in putting hog
to death is simply this: A pig is held
in such high esteem that 1t breaks the
Samoan heart to see even the blood
/ being wasted. The blood Is used in
conjunction with the fatty parts Of the
/ entrails and when baked forms some
| kind of pudding. | have never tast-
, ed this kind of pudding myself. but a
| Samoan will tell you that it 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 is lost"
! well remember the first and only
/ Samoan feast / ever had the pleas.
ure OF Intending. received an invi-
tation one day from a Samoan whose
/ friendship 1 had formed to attend a
feast the following night which ne
was giving to dedicate mis- new home.
! There were several white men present
and about fifty natives. We were ar
( ranged in two rows facing each other,
sitting cross legged, and In front of
each was a small mat on which was a
profusion of food. including a iupe
Cor pigeon. a piece Of pork paiusaIni),
taro fDreadfruip-in fact everything
which goes to make a Samoan feast
all to be washed down with cocoanu;
! milk. had taken two or three
| mouthfuls of the pigeon when | no
ticed that there was a ring of natives
each with a basket waiting impatieBtiy
just outside the house AS | turned "a
the man on my right for the purpose
Of asking why these people were as
sembled outside l sensed a movement
in close proximity on my left. Turning
quickly around, | was Just In time Il