Then the shell, which contains a very delicious oil, is placed in a wooden mortar and crushed to obtain the oil. Then whatever the meal consists of, meat, fish, mussels, &c., all is put in a vessel, adding the oil and the pulpy part of the palm-nut, also red pepper and salt, and is boiled.
Roast or boiled squash (Loenge) is generally eaten with it.
Sweet potatoes (M’balla Benga) are more farinaceous, and sweeter than ours, but do not taste so good. They are boiled or roasted in the same way as we do here.
Bananas (Bitaebe) weigh about a half pound each, and are about fifteen inches long. When half ripe they are cut in slices, adding much salt and pepper, and are boiled in water.
N’sensi is a little red bean, which is boiled in water without adding salt or pepper.
Peanut bread (Chisulu): the peanuts are first roasted, then crushed. This mass is then rolled and put into the skin of a banana, adding a little pressure, forming it into a body. It readily retains this shape from the presence of the oily substance in the peanut.
Hongkong Menu.
China.
- Bow Ha Mai.
- Boiled Prawns in Oil.
- Chow Chop Suey.
- Bits of Pork Chops.
- Ham ob Dau.
- Preserved Eggs with Ducks’ Gizzards.
- Ob Gau Bow Vo Toway.
- Ducks’ Livers and Boiled Ham.
- Chow Ju Aw.
- Boiled Pork, Kidneyed.
- Show Ju N Gow.
- Roast Pork-tongues.
- Bow N Gwei.
- Cuttle Fish.
- Yen Wo’ Gong.
- Boiled Pigeon Eggs and Bird-nest Soup.
- Bow Hai.
- Boiled Crabs.
- Bow Yu Chee.
- Boiled Shark Fins.
- Yuen Tsyai.
- Rice Cakes.
- Bow Ob.
- Duck-tongues and Mushrooms.
- Ju Tow N Gow.
- Fried Roofs-of-the-Mouths of Pigs.
- Chow Ob Jun.
- Ducks’ Feet.
- Chow Gai Pien.
- Fried Chicken Wings.
- Lein Chi Gong.
- Lily-seed Soup.
- Hong Yin Gong.
- Almond Soup.
- Dein Som.
- Sweetmeats and Jellies.
- Yueh Biung.
- Mincemeat Cakes.
- Gwoy Zoo.
- Fruits.
- Kwoh Zuh.
- Seeds.
- Cha Sam Soo.
- Tea, and Rice Whiskey.
As to the Chinese, at their formal dinners or feasts no menus are used. The bill of fare consists of an interminable list of dishes, and which has been arranged by the author in the form of a menu card. The tables are laden with such dishes as shark-fins, bêche-de-mer fish, fish-soup, chicken-soup, duck-soup, rice, rice, rice, and tea, tea, tea, and tea; not forgetting the edible birds’ nests, candies, and cakes. One’s appetite is almost taken away on entering a Chinese house at which a banquet is to be given—the effect of burning incense and other vile herbs. The Chinese can be extremely polite. Champagne is a favorite drink among Chinese officials at the Treaty Ports, and is always brought out when they have a foreign guest.