Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1914-10-10
DINING IN LIBERIA.
Dumboy, Their National Dish, Is
a GaStronomiC Wonder.
TO CHEW IT MEANS L0CKJAW.
The Sticky. Cement like Mess Has 70
Be 6olted In Lumps, Washed Down
w tn Soup-When Allowed TO Stand
and Harden Il Is Used For Bullets


tn Soup-When Allowed TO Stand
and Harden u Is Used For Bullets.
Dumboy. the national dish OF Ii
IBERIA. is one Of the worlds CASTRO
monte wonders If allowed to stand
lon. after beng prepared for the ilpe
it becomes very hard broken pieces ~
it hciuS favoritc Sind ~ shot for u-e
in tho Song muzzlc loading guns 81 t,i'.
natives 4 easing of duuboy Is also.
used 10 s,ill.eu the leather shcl'l> ot
the native swords aud kuivcs, accord
ing to &. y collins III comnumca
ton To the National Geographic society
at Washington.
TO attempt the description Of some
move food is ike attempting to dc
scribe % landscape, writes Mr.. Col
Inns
The constituent rats may be dc
scribcd and the manner ~ which they
are combined. but it requires some
thing more than accurate description
to reprodur" the sensation Of the orisi.
nal. The principal ingredient Of DUN
boy is cassaya. or 'caS>ada, as it is
called in Liberia. The edible roots Of
this plant are the source of tapioca
and some forms II sage.
10 prepare tho roots for dumboS
they are peeled. boiled and all tihcrs
from the center removed The cooked
roots are then placed IN q large wood
eli mortar and beaten With hca'y
pestle This beating requires conNid
cradle skill and experience. IN the
hands Of novice the result is lumpy
and inediblc.
The beating requires about three.
quarters Of an hour and is hard work.
As the beaten mass becomes homo
ecncous the pcStlc produces a loud
crack each time II is drawn from the
mortar These sharp reports can he
heard long distances through the for
est and are very welcome sounds at
the end Of a days journey.
when the dumboy reaches this
stage the operator may rest without
injury to the product, but once the
beating Is carried past this point 1t
must be rapidly completed and the
dumboy eaten 1T once The natives say
1t is actually dangerous TO eat dunn
boy that has stood for more than
few minutes after it is beaten.
AS soon as the beating is finished
the dumboy IS taken from the mortar
and placed in the shallow wooden
bowls The native method is TO place
the entire quantity In one large bowl
from which al the partakers eat II
divided the customary portion for each
person is Il piece about the size OF an
ordinary LOAF Of bread.
~ soup which has been prepared
while the dumboy was being beaten is
now poured into each bowl There is
great variety in the soup. which i'm
parts most OF the taste to the dish.
There is always q stock of some form
OF meat This may he either chicken.
deer fish monkey or even canned
beef To tnil are added as many vege
tables as can be obtained.
As soon rs the soup is added the
dumboy is ready to be eaten. and,
while tn, ingredients are somewhat
bizarre. the method 81 eating strikes
the traveller us even more startling
The mass OF dumhoy. which can best
be described as a sticky dough, will
adhere Instantly to anything dry, but
is readily cut with a wooden spoon If
the spoon is kept moist with soup.
AN incredibly large piece is cut OF
with the moiStcncu spoon. taken up
with quantity of soup and swallowed
whole No one thinks OF chewing II,
and II is customary 10 caution the nov.
fee by tales OF the friGhtfuI operation
necessary 10 separate the Jaws once
the teeth are buried: In the sticky mass.
"As might be expected few Euro
peans like dumboy on first acquain
lance. and with some the initial dis
taste prevents further experiments. II
a second or third attempt is made.
however. and the dish has been prop
erly prepared. the habit IS usually
formed. and before long every night
spent in the bush without meal Of
dumboy is counted priyation. Among
the white residents Of Liberia fond
ness for the dish amounts almoS 10 a
cult II is regarded as sort OF guar
anty that ones tenderfoot days are