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Show Peculiarities, of. Chinese Cooking 1 By JEANETTE YOUNG NORTON jl I WHEN Americans speak of Chinese food they do so collectively as though It- wero tho same all over China. This is not so, for.it varies in different localities. Chinamen do not live entirely upon rice at home to as great a degree de-gree as they are supposed to live on chop suoy in . America, both conclusions being without foundation. founda-tion. . , The Chinese would bo lucky indeed it they could get rice in all sections of their country, but in tho north, for instance, it is imposslblo to procure pro-cure rice, therefore wheat flour, corn meal and millet must take its place. In tho country pork and mutton may be had in fair quantity but no beef. In tho cities tho markets mar-kets furnish, in addition to pork and mutton, flsh, poultry, eggs, a moderate amount of beef, and in the cold months a plentiful supply of game. The game Is brought by camel trains. Deer, wild boar, pheasants, partridges, ducks, bustard and rabbits. The bustard is equal to tho American turkey. When roasted tho Chinese serve it with a sauco made from a red haw, which is as good as tho cranberry. Vegetables aro fairly well distributed In China. In the south part of the country many tropical fruits aro to bo had, beaidCs those that aro imported im-ported today. Melons are specially fine, including includ-ing red water melons and those with tho lemon yellow meat. Chinese cooking is done In sesame, peanut oil, or pork fat. Little or no bread is eaten and butter and cheese aro unknown. One must acquire a tasto for Chinese food, but II those who have eaten .birds' nest soup, lotus seed I II broth, pineapple flsh, chicken mushroom, water II chestnuts and onions fried .with squares of pork I dipped in rice flour, then served on a bed of fried Jl noodles cannot say enough in tho cook's praise. II Things being upside down in the Orient from II the American point of view, it is to be expected I that the Chinese begin dinner with fruit, nuts and II seeds and end with soup, even If thero are as II many as 27 courses. Little must bo eaten of each l course if tho unaccustomed diner expects to hold til out to tho end, it being a breach of etiquette not jll to "stay until the finish." l The food is all carved In the kitchen for two Jl reasons, the first being the universal use of chop- BI sticks, and the second the objection of tho natives 'III to the sight of a fowl laid liko a corpso on its ' !l back with Its abbreviated drumsticks held up in III mute appeal for mercy. HI A special dainty Is steamed bread, which is oM baked, in tlhy loaves like big biscuits. Beau curd, KI used In the -.north of China, is made by grinding 'ilH and boiling the milk-like concoction then letting jll it whey off like cottage cheese, ill It Is said that what a Chinaman will not eat 01 is not flt to eat Tho Chinaman says tho stomach . ll likes to be surprised, and Judging by what he puts ' II in his that organ must suffer from most astonish- II ing shocks. Snakes of an edible family, a largo II species of rat, entrails of fish and beast properly II cleaned and cooked with liver and kidneys, dried II locusts and other unspeakable things to tho west- HI ern mind, furnish tho surprises for the stomach. II |