of the compliment was necessary.
AHTISTIC Having always heard that Orientals
JAPAN turned menus topsy-turvy we were
not at all surprised when the little
serving women brought to each of us two silver plates
and set them on our trays. These plates contained what
appeared to be cake, one seeming to be angel food with
icing, and the other fruit cake with the same covering.
With these came bowls of soup, served in lacquer ware,
made of glutinous nests of swallows, and also a salad
made of shark fms. We ate the soup and salad and
found it good, and then made tentative investigation of
the "cake." To our great surprise we discovered the
angel food to be fish and the "icing" was shredded and
pressed lobster. The "fruit cake" developed into pressed
dark meat of chicken, with an icing of pressed and
glazed white meat of the same fowl.
Following this came the second service of tea, this
time in cups of a rare yellow color and beautiful design,
with similar teapot.
The next course was a mixture of immature vege-
tables, served in a sort of saute. These were sprouting
beans, lentils, peas and a number of others with which
we were unfamiliar. The whole was delicately flavored
with a peculiar sauce.
After a short wait, during which the saki bottles cir-
culated freely, one of the women came in bearing aloft
a large silver tray on which reposed a mammoth cray-
fish, or California lobster. This appeared to be covered
with shredded cocoanut, and when it was placed before
the host for serving he was at loss, for no previous ex-
perience told him what to do. It developed that the
shredded mass on top was the meat of the lobster which
had been removed leaving the shell-lish in perfect form.
It was served cold, with a peculiar sauce.
58
SAN FRANCISCO
Now followed the piece de resistance. A tub of
water was brought in and in this was swimming a live
fish, apparently of the carp family.
After being on view for a few min- ARTISTIC
utes it was removed and soon the JAPAN
handmaidens appeared with thinly
sliced raw fish, served with soy sauce. Ordinarily one
can imagine nothing more repulsive than a dish of raw
fish, but we were tempted and did eat, and found it
most delicious, delicate, and with a flavor of raw oysters.
Next came the third service of tea, this time in a
deep red ware. Then came a dessert of unusual flavor
and appearance, followed by preserved ginger and fruit.
It must be remembered that during the meal, which
lasted from seven until past midnight, saki was served
constantly yet no one felt its influence in more than a
sense of increased exhilaration. It is customary to let
the emptied bottles remain on the table until the close
of the meal, and there was a mighty showing.
It was impossible to eat all that was set before us,
but Japanese custom forbids such a breach of etiquette
as an indication that the food was not perfection, conse-
quently the serving maids appeared bearing six carved
teak boxes, and placed one at each plate. Into these we
arranged the food that was unconsumed, and when we
went away we carried it with us. To cap the climax the
Japanese stripped the room of its bounteous decoration
of chrysanthemums and piled them into our arms and
we went home loaded with food and flowers.
Page 31
Presented as published in 1914. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
of the compliment was necessary.
ARTISTIC Having always heard that Orientals
JAPAN turned menus topsy-turvy we were
not at all surprised when the little serving women brought to each of us two silver plates and set them on our trays. These plates contained what appeared to be cake, one seeming to be angel food with icing, and the other fruit cake with the same covering. With these came bowls of soup, served in lacquer ware, made of glutinous nests of swallows, and also a salad made of shark fms. We ate the soup and salad and found it good, and then made tentative investigation of the "cake." To our great surprise we discovered the angel food to be fish and the "icing" was shredded and pressed lobster. The "fruit cake" developed into pressed dark meat of chicken, with an icing of pressed and glazed white meat of the same fowl.
Following this came the second service of tea, this time in cups of a rare yellow color and beautiful design, with similar teapot.
The next course was a mixture of immature vegetables, served in a sort of saute. These were sprouting beans, lentils, peas and a number of others with which we were unfamiliar. The whole was delicately flavored with a peculiar sauce.
After a short wait, during which the saki bottles circulated freely, one of the women came in bearing aloft a large silver tray on which reposed a mammoth crayfish, or California lobster. This appeared to be covered with shredded cocoanut, and when it was placed before the host for serving he was at loss, for no previous experience told him what to do. It developed that the shredded mass on top was the meat of the lobster which had been removed leaving the shell-lish in perfect form. It was served cold, with a peculiar sauce.
Now followed the piece de resistance. A tub of water was brought in and in this was swimming a live fish, apparently of the carp family. After being on view for a few min- ARTISTIC utes it was removed and soon the JAPAN
handmaidens appeared with thinly sliced raw fish, served with soy sauce. Ordinarily one can imagine nothing more repulsive than a dish of raw fish, but we were tempted and did eat, and found it most delicious, delicate, and with a flavor of raw oysters.
Next came the third service of tea, this time in a deep red ware. Then came a dessert of unusual flavor and appearance, followed by preserved ginger and fruit.
It must be remembered that during the meal, which lasted from seven until past midnight, saki was served constantly yet no one felt its influence in more than a sense of increased exhilaration. It is customary to let the emptied bottles remain on the table until the close of the meal, and there was a mighty showing.
It was impossible to eat all that was set before us, but Japanese custom forbids such a breach of etiquette as an indication that the food was not perfection, consequently the serving maids appeared bearing six carved teak boxes, and placed one at each plate. Into these we arranged the food that was unconsumed, and when we went away we carried it with us. To cap the climax the Japanese stripped the room of its bounteous decoration of chrysanthemums and piled them into our arms and we went home loaded with food and flowers.