The Washington herald., 1912-10-20
Another Dream Shattered;
Chop Suey Not Chinese Dish

the animal met his death. OF course. n
! animal which has died Of old age u
considered more wholesome than ont
Avhich has been swept away by pesti
lence. but both 90 into the stewpot JUS
the same.
A missionary who never inquired whai
became Of the carcasses Of calves which
died found that his cattle were dying on
at an unprecedented rate. He accord
ingly adopted the practice Of saturatinl
the dead animals with carbolic acid. and
the death rate at once diminished.
| The English Governor OF Hongkone
once suggested to a Chinese friend that
there was a splendid opportunity for q
tannery in the town. as hundreds OF pisl
| were killed every day. He was told that
there were no skins to tan. all Of them
being utilized for food. And again. when
he wished to rid the town OF the stray
dogs which infested the streets. he wal
told that he would be interfering with
the peoples food supply.
Eat Cats and Rats.
In Canton rats and cats are exposed
for sale. and the silkworms are always
eaten after the cocoon has been unwound
from them. Indeed. no source. however
small, Is left unturned in the search for
food for the people. Even cannibalism
is not unknown in periods Of famine
Inc man OF wealth., however, QlneS -
well as anybody in the world. Epicure-
anism is known in China by more than
Mayors. Foyr-fifths Of the conversation
of the well-to-do relates to food. accord
ing to careful observers.
I once asked a Chinese student who
had visited America what feature Of our
civilization he considered more reprehen-
sible. and he at once said 'the quick
!! lunch restaurant" The Chinamap would
,-l- of trr h~ IT,,
as he would Of burying his grandmother
in haste.
Indeed. to the Chinaman's ability to
linger over the dinner table or the tea
table most Of the Oriental triumphs in
diplomacy are due. The American or the
English minister who tries to win some
point from the Chinese government must
go through tedious hours OF rice cakes
and tea. He is a patient man II he can
go through with the ordeal without be-
ing shunted of the track of his mission.
A Chinese feast lasts for hours and
runs to 70. 80. or even 100 courses. In
Shanghai. on the Foochow Road. which
is generally spoken OF as the tenderloin
Of China. one restaurant served a din
ner which cost 800 and lasted the bet
ter part of a day.
I began my experience with Chinese
cooking in Shanghai, and on the Foo
chow Road. though not at the restau-
rant which boasted of the 800 dinner.
Dinner Long One.
The dinner was a short one. consisting
of only fifteen courses, not to mention
hot towels. which were served on five
separate occasions. The hot towel is an
institution at Chinese dinners. Wet and
steaming, soaked in perfumed water.
thty are handed to each guest shortly
after the beginning OF the meal
They are not mere formalities. like our
finger bowls, but are for extensive use.
The Chinaman swabs his face. neck. and
hands with his towel and then goes on
with his dinner. In the course OF a pre-
tentious feast. towels. the same ones
although reheated. are brought many
times.
They serve to give the hard-pressed
diner a respite from food, and by induc-
ing perspiration enable the drinking man
to go further in his course. i had with
me during my feast a Chinese who spoke
English. and who agreed to order the
dinner and describe the dishes.
To begin with, there was tea-green
tea. of course. Yu zien the Chinese call
1t. which means picked before rain. Then
came towels. closely followed by mi
tailu. wine made from rice. 1t was