Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-27


American STYLE cooking-chop suey'
The nroprietor was Chinaman. but
he had given credit where credit was
dpa and had disowned his nation $
claim TO the tasty dlsh. san Francisco,
the we'll known lar OF The grizzly
bear. is also the home OF chop suey.
# was there that chop suey first saw
the light of day. and ihe Chinese res
tagrants of San Francisco are still
the most elaborate in the country, al
tbougl, they have been widely copied.
C,h,na is not without credit In the mat
Ter for the inventor of the dish W.
a Chjnaman. although an americana
ed one.
enough. sienifying meu and water,
but 4 had an oriental 3avor and was
tb,,s selected as the I. AIDE name for
Tho eccentric hash whicl has made its
WA, into every corner Of our land.
Cbor euey is made somewhat after
Tho manner of Chinese DISHES. but
some of lis ingredients are not in com
man use inthe Flowerl Kingdom. Or
dinary ciop suey, for instance, is made
on bef basis
Chgnaman of China very rarely
,o..os bfef. for not only is The relig-
&c Ia fuence of the Buddhists against
tI,o ea ing of any beast Of burden. but
moro i not enough grazing land in
tI,a e,Yplre to make it possible for beef
IA no raised for consumption.
rba, again. the small shoots in chop
cav uhich the Chinese restauranteurs
IN nc are bamboo shoots are in re-
wheat sprouts, and are much smaller
and more delicate than bamboo. which
ev..n in the sprouting stage is Of
ereat diameter.
Tile cuisine Of China is toothsome.
We globe trotters rank the Chinese
. I seeond only to the French in the
art iof cookery. In the ability to pre-.
yen, waste the Chinese cook is without
a rival
Of course, the peasant Of China does
not share in the delicate triumps of
the national COOKERY He is glad to get
,be meat Of donkey, horse. dog or
"a mel, nor does he scruple IL ask how
the animal mot his death. OF course.
an animal which has died of cid age
is considered more wholesome than
nestilence. but both go into the stew
not Just the same.
a missionary. who never inquired
what became of the carcasses Of calves
which died. found that his cattle We're
dying off at an unprecedented rate.
He accordingly adopted the practice OF
sathrating the dead animals with car
bolie acid and the death rate at once
diminished.
Tho English Governor of HOngkong
once suggested to a Chinese friend
that there was a splendid opportunity
for Il tannery in the town, as hundreds
of pigs were killed every day. He was
told that there were no skins To tam
all of them being utilized for food. And
AGAR, when he wished to rid the town
OF the stray dogs which infested the
streets, he was told that he would be
interfering wit the peoples food sup
ply.
In Canton rats and eats are exposed
for sale, and the silkWorms are always
eaten after the cocoon has been I'M
wound from them. Indeed, no source,
however small, is left mtnrned in the
search for food for the people. Even
cannibalism is not unknown in periods
Of famine.
Tho man of wealth, however, dimes
as well rs anybody in the world. Epi-
eureanism is known in China by more
than MAYORS Four fifths of the con-
versa, N of The well-todo relates TO
food. secording to careful observers.
orfp asked a Chinese student who
had VISITED America what feature OF
our civilization he considered most
reprenensible. and he ri once said
the quick lunch restaurant. The
Chinaman would as soon think OF eat
inc Il meal hastily as he would of
burying his grandmother in haste.
Indeed. to the Chinaman ability to
llneer over the dinner table or the tea
h. bic most of the Oriental triumphs in
aipIomacy are due. The American or
H. English Minister who tries to win
some point from the Chinese Govern
nent must go through tedious hours
# rice cakes and tea. He is a patient
nan if he can go through with the
lrdeal without being shunted off the
rack 90 his mission.
A Chinese feast lasts for hours and
,lIns to 10, 50 and even 100 courses. In
shanghai. on the Foochow road, which
$ generally spoken of as the tender
cir Of China, one restaurant served
Timer which cost 800 and lasted the
setter part of day.
I began my experience with Chinese
,oekins in Shanghai. and an the Foo
how road. though not al the restau-
ant which boosted of the 500 dinner,
The dinner was a short one, consist
ny of only l. courses. not to mention
hot towels, which Were served on 1--WE
Ieparate occasions. The hot towel Is
in institution at Chinese dinners. Wet
nd steaming, soaked in perfumed
water. they are handed TO each guest
shortly after the beginning of a meal
They are not mere formaiities. like
,nr finger bowls, but are for extensive
lse. The Chinaman swabs his face,
aeck and hands with his towel and
hen goes on with his dinner. In the
sonrsc of a pretentious feast, towels,
Inc same ones. although reheated, are
brought many times.