Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-05-07
FOOD PRODUCTS SCARCE
IN NORTHERN MEXICO
GuIIctfn Says &c Americans Were Forced
to Live on .'Fnt OF Land They
Would Find II Lem.

to Live ON .'Ent OF Land The.
Would Find Il Lean.
WASH lNGTON. MAY 5.--If the Amer
Jan soldiers had been forced TO live
o, the fat of the land while on their
punitive expedition into Mexico they
would have found it decidedly lean
and would have had occasion to COM
plain bitterly of Tho commiSSary. for.
although the ncighboring republic has
within its borders an extraordinary va
icty Of food products, including most
OF the vegetables. fruits and cereals
s al the tropics. there is neither variety
Nor abundance in its northern States
y bulletin on culinary practices in the
SUIthcrn republic. issued by the Ma
tional Geographic Society in Washing
ton. says:
since the days of the MontcZunaS.
McNico's staff of life has taken tho
form al the tortillas, made Of Indian
corn. which is Indigenous To the coun
try. The preparation of the tortilla is
tho work OF tho Indian women. WHO
first boil the grain and then. while
adding water. grind it TO a stim paste
on Il mctate, or Hat mortar. This paste
usually is nodded with the hands into
thin cakes and is cooked much alter
the fashion Of the 'hoecakc' of Dixie
land.
"'rhc frijoc. or Mexican bean. frc-
uucnuy fried in fat. is another Staplc,
both when served alone and when con-
StitutinS an important ingredient "f
the famous chile con carnc. sort or
GnulaSh. compounded, cuStomarily. Of
beef and beans. with Il plentiful sea
souinG OF chilli the Mexican pepper.
Some Odd Dishes.
The hot tomato has made its way
across the border. but it does not have
tho same flavor when taken from
can as when the particles Of meat are
p1
meal. wrapped in corn shucks.' boiled
until thoroughly cooked. peeled out of
ana eaten from the shuck.
.'Ono OF the odd dishes OF Northern
Mexico is the pippian. made Of finely
ground squash seed, boiled in u sauce.
pan.
while the tortillas. frijolcs. chile
con carne and tomalcs. washed down
with liberal pOtationS of puluu". may
he considered the foundation Of his
menu, the peon OF Southern MEXICO has
various appctizers which arc unknown
TO the pcon of tho north. There is. for
example. the water wheat which is
not exactly what it's name implies. but
the eggs of flies. The native McXicau.
eats his water wheat with the same
epicurcan relish that tho Chinese man
DARN eats his expensive hird-ncst. the
Central African his raw hippopotamus,
the Canton merchant his Stail-i"d doc
stcwcd in fat
Insects aud Eggs Eaten.
The water wheat fields are ponds il,
which the pcon places bundles of reeds
Il few feet apart, SO that tnciv tops are
just above the surface. ON these reeds
or iuShcS the insects deposit their eggs
III Incredible numbers The bundles
are 'hcn removed and the crop is
shaken of. tn" eggs, resembling inc
tSh-ro" are made into small cakes aud
arc sold in the markets. Ia he eaten
either as We cat cheese. or mixed with
corn meal aud fowl eggs. The insects
themselves. which are about tho size
OF our house lies. ar" also eaten the
method Of preparation being to pound
| them into paste aud boil with corn
! uSkS
The fruits Of Southern Mexico arc
numerous and some OF them arc do
licious One Of the most unusual il
tn" papaya, or melon zapoic. when
grows on a tree and often weighs as
! much as twenty pounds. 1t has char
actcriSticS which link it TO the can
'aloupc. the pumpkin and the water
melon. and in addition contains con-
siderable pcrsin, So that the diner may
tax" his aid o-diGcStion and his ,ics-
Scrt at one and the sam" time rho
parrot fruit is peculiar chiefly on ac-
count Of it's striking resemblance" 10
IN" green parrakcctS which arc y, hc
i'Ihh ", M'NltO. lnrSc Ilttl" birds
frequently cludc hawks hy per, hiu.
among the fruit, from which they are
almost indiStineuishablc.
Fruit ENpIOdrS when Warm.
The traveller who pluckS fruit from
the arh"l iii dynamite and slows il
away IN his suit ease will be startled
!" hear " loud explosion in :, snort
iiu" as The product Of the APPLY named
dynamite tree dcnotatcS whenever il,
IS placed in Il warm spot.
Tho rarahumarc Indians, who arc
especially fond OF fish, frequently or
Sarizc community fishing parties which
iHSt several DAYS. bn these .,,'"aSiOnS
ii'"t nd u impractical to depend on
their ,rul" traps and III I'm pointed
/ spears. $" they make "a fish poison H..
''rSh,n2 ne J. - If two NaIIetirs /
the m"Eucy plant. The lervrs arc
thrown into a stream which, ha.; n,cn
drirn'cd and the following morning
fhc fish, SOM N" "'y H:upciicd aud
Others already dead. arc easily gather
{! Tine poia"r. tnrtuuatt.,y, is not OF
character 10 af:cct human beings
!hhprl"S. larvae nd water beetle; are
49, or aquatic h"iicacics ,ica.' ID the
:. rdhumarr paIarc.
i. overs of chocolate rni.cus and
dtr ihcrS o. coca are ind ,tici to the
aH> cnt McAt ans Ipr the ,'acao bean
IN" MoHt"ElI:na called tn. beverage
i':;ti" from 'h's Lean. wEicf was at
ct. Inn" used as money. ch"co!atl.
from choco t'ucr"l and i.t lwatcr).
Ano'hcr Nalu 10" bean from trnpiral
Ms go is the vanilla. whi,n :"r,.vs IN
"A climbing orchid"