We had not finished yet. Duck was the next course. This came on a plate and had its bones entire. It was also covered with thick brown sauce and finely shredded vegetables. His Excellency told us there were many more vegetables in China than in England, and that some of them were prepared for export. These appeared to be shredded in the same way as vegetables are cut for Julienne soup. With it was also served a great dish of rice, and in ordinary Chinese households rice is served with every course.
“In the rich homes we eat much meat and little rice, and in the poor homes much rice and little meat,” said the Minister. This dish I did not care for at all, besides finding it next to impossible to detach the meat from the bones with the chopsticks.
Our next course was a very pretty one. On a plate sat a row of little dumplings, into which lobster, finely shredded with ham, had been daintily tucked.
I was struck by the fact that with the exception of the duck everything had been passed through the mincing machine or chopped. Beef, by the way, is so bad in China that it is rarely eaten.
Then followed the pudding, which was altogether a success, entitled “Water lily.” The sweet was also served on plates. Lord Li maintained that the foundation was rice; if so, it had been boiled so long that it was more like tapioca. Round it were stewed pears and peaches, and all over it little things that looked like white broad beans. These had a delicate and delicious flavour, and I guessed a dozen times what they could be, but in each case was wrong; and the Minister explained they were the seeds of the lotus flower.
No wonder His Excellency lives on Chinese food at home when it is so good and so well cooked. The native wine or spirit I did not like; it rather reminded me of vodka.
Our meal finished we repaired to the drawing-room, where was set out a silver tray of beautiful Chinese workmanship, with a silver teapot and silver cups lined with white china and with ordinary handles.
“You ladies must sit on the sofa,” said Lord Li, “for it is the fashion in China for the host himself to dispense the tea.”
Accordingly, he lifted the entire table and placed it before us, then poured out what appeared to be the palest green liquid.
“Surely that is not tea!” I exclaimed.