Evening journal., 1916-05-09
NORTHERN Mexico
NOT LAND OF PLENTY
TortillaS Main Staff of Life
Since Days Of Old
Montezuma
FRIJOLE ANOTHER
STAPLE PRODUCT

II the American soldiers had been
forced to live on "the fat of the land
while on their punitive expedition into
Mexico they would have found IL de-
cidedly lean and would have had occa-
sion to complain bitterly Of the COM
missary. for although the neighboring
republic has within its borders an
extraordinary variety OF food prod |
ucts including most the vegetables,
fruits and cereals grown in both the
temperate zone and the tropics. there
is neither variety nor abundance in its
Northern States. A bulletin on culin-
airy practices in the southern repuh-
lie. issued by the National Geographic
Society in Washington, says.
"Since the days Of the Moniozumas
MeNico's staff Of life has taken the
form OF the torillas. made Of Indian
corn. which is indigenous TO the coun-
try The preparation OF the torillas is
the work of the Indian women, who
first boil the grain and then. while
adding water. grind 1t to a stiff paste
ON a metate or flat mortar This paste
usually is moulded with the hands INTO
thin cakes and s cooked much after
the fashion Of the hoe cake Of Dixie
land
"The frijolo. or Mexican bean. fire.
Quontly fried in fat, is another staple.
both when served alone and when
constituting an important ingredient
Of the famous chile con carne, a sort
OF goulash. compounded customarily,
of beef and beans. with a plentiful
80 -.
THE hot tamale has made its way
across the border, but il does not have
the same flavor when taken from a
can as when the particles of meat are
seasoned with pepper. mixed with
cornmeal. wrapped in corn 'shucks.
boiled until thoroughly cooked. peeled
out of and eaten from the shuck.
Ever Eat Pipian!
zone OF the odd dishes of Northern
Mexico is the pipian. made OF finely
ground squash seed boiled in a sauce
pan.
While the tortillas. friioles. Chile
concarne and tamales. washed down
with liberal potations OF pulque. may
be considered the foundation OF his
menu. the peon Of Southern Mexico
has various appetizers which are un-
known TO the peon OF the North. There
IS. for example. the water wheat
which Is not exactly what its name
implies. but tho eggs Of flies The
native Mexican eats his water wheat
with the same epicureau relish that
the Chinese mandarin eats his expen-
sivo bird-nest, the Central African his
raw hippopotamus. the Canton mer-
chant his stall-fed dog and the West
indian his palm worms stewcd i'm fat
Tho water wheat fields are ponds in
which the peon places bundles of
reeds a few feet apart so that their
tops are Just above the surface. On
these reeds or rushes the insects dc
posit their eggs in incredible numbers.
Tho bundles are then removed and the
crop is shaken Oft The eggs. resem-
bling fine fish-roe. are made into small
cakes and arc sold in the markets. 20
be eaten either as we eat cheese or
mixed with cornmeal and fowl eggs.
The insects themselves. which are
about the size Of our house flies. are
also eaten. the method Of preparation
being TO pound them into paste and
boil with corn-husks.
ne fruits OF southern MEXICO are
numerous, and some of them are de.
licious. One Of tho most unusual is
the papaya or melon zapote. which
grows on a tree and often weighs as
much as 20 pounds II has character
istics which link il 10 the cantaloupe
the pumpkin and the watermelon. anC
IN addition contains considerable pep
sin. so that the diner may take his aid
to-dieestion and his dessert at one anC
the same time. The parrot fruit Il
peculiar chiefly on account OF III
striking resemblance to the green par
rakeets which are 10 be found in Mex
ico. These little birds frequently eludS
hawks by perching among the fruit
from which they are almost indis
tinguishable.
High Explosive Menu.
"The traveller who plucks fruit from
the arbol di dnamite' and slows
away in his suitcase will be startled L
hear loud explosion I'm a short time
as the product OF the aptly-named dy
Mantle tree detonates whenever 1t Il
placed in a warm spot.
The Tarahumare Indians who arr