The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-23
RUSSIA HOME OF FASTIDIOUS
GOUF2N1ETS, EPICURE,AN DELIGHTS
AND UlJBLUSfIlNG GF2AF'TERS

"Do 10y all means" replied the artist
In few weeks he had accumulated
several dozen specimens Of m, fine
china and glassware, all stolen from
! !rLpcrial palaces. ON" day he asked
! the car To- com. ana see his newest
curiuS. The monarch was cnraGcd
when the matter was explained to him.
! There was a clearing out of servants
ana the police grabbed the junk dealer,
| hut the practice was only temporarily
abatci.
The cars table j. financed IN Il cal"
of enormous cNtrlvaGtucr. Each dish
is put down at ten ruhls 800 and
each single article Of food counts as a
d..h, though it may ne only a few olives
or "A bunch Of celery. At great state
dinners the figuring is st.ll higher
| Then the champagne served at the i'm
pcrial table Is If the choicest brand of
the Cars cellars. The same wine is
.upposcd to he served At the other ta-
blcs, but here the quality i. worse than
/ suspicious.
The Cars chef. Eugene Kratz, has
/ "A salary Of 100000 a year and social
| y, ivieges equal To those of General
in the Russian army.
French wines are the favortes in
Russia, but on account of the enormous
! du,y they are very expensive. No bot
| tie of Reims champagne can be bought
for less than 10 rubles $40. An or
binary whskey and soda costs from 81
| to 81 80. The wine bottles are cross
gartered with strips Of official paper,
each representing a customs receipt.
Vodka, the national drink. is distilled
from rye. Kumyss, widely I'M atcd in
America, is an alcoholic liquor distilled
! by the Calmuck Tatars from mares
milk as it L. undergoing fermentation.
Twenty-one ounces of the milk yield
fourteen ounces of low wines, which by
| reCtifiCatiOn give Sin ounces Of pretty
strong alcohol. Cows milk, because OF
its containing less saccharinc matter,
yields much less spirits.
Kummel is "A Russian cordial famil-
lar to Americans 1t j. Favored with
kummin and caraway seeds. The finest
| quality comes from WeisSenShem in
l;sthonia, bur Riga is the chief seat of
| its manufacture,
The fastidious palate Of the Russian
epicure demands the highest grade teas
grown. These are supplied in the gun
powder and hyson teas and in the pekoe,
| consisting Of the very youngest leaves
Of the first pickings. SO delicate j. this
| tea, so susceptible to outer influences,
| that the importers dare not transport II
On the water lest 1t be impaired by the
| flavor and dampness Of the salt water.
| So it Is brought overland II the way
| from China and India. An enormous
| business in the tea is done by the Sibe-
| rian overland traders.
Everybody in Russia drinks tea.
OF course, 1t is NOT all broug.t over
land but il is all very excellent and 10
the Russian the English and American
brew is an unpleasant draught. In the
morning and at odd times during the
samovar, Every home howcvc. hum
bic has AZ least one samovar. IT. is a
very convenient contrivance, portable
and often taking the place of the stove
in tea making.
The vessel is filled with water which
is heated by charcoal placed in "A pipe
with chimney attashed. which passes
through the urn. Some are in
beautiful shapes, The prettiest are of
pinchbeCk, an alloy of copper and zinc
which gives the vessel "A fine golden
appearance, They cost from 1915 to
$50,
The Russian breakfast almost uni
versal, Is tea AMI rolls, sometimes with
butter and Jam added. A fire in the
Kitchen stove before luncheon IA the ex-