Ask the same question about the national dish of Italy,
viz., wheat, macaroni, and polenta (corn meal) cooked
with cheese made from skim milk ; about the Indian and
Chinese food of rice combined with peas and beans ; about
the miso the Japanese composed of rice and fermented
barley, with beans or peas; about the Creole dish of rice
and red beans ; and corn meal, bacon, and molasses of our
Southern negroes.
Hfethod. — Much the same method may be pursued in the
study of this section as has been already suggested for the
previous section.
Use first Chart II, asking such questions as will lead them
DRINKS 129
to see at a glance the relative economy of the different
foods. Then give them the table and let them w^ork ont
problems such as these : —
(1) From the articles given in this table, select a bill
of fare for three meals. Compute the cost and the food
value of each. If the dietary first proposed is one-sided,
make it right, and again compute the cost.
(2) Substitute equally nutritious but cheaper foods.
Again compute the cost. Is the first bill of fare worth
the additional cost ?
(3) Suppose that a man vs^as compelled to eat pork and
beans for half his entire diet, how many pounds of beans
must he eat for the requisite amount of proteid ? How
much carbohydrate does this quantity yield ? How much
pork must be added to make the food value nearly perfect ?
DRINKS
Tea
Food Value. — Tea is of variable compositions. Its most
important constituent is theine, which makes from one to
four per cent. With this is combined tannin (sixteen to
twenty-seven per cent). Its other constituents are caseine,
gum, sugar, starch, oil, vegetable fibre, and an aromatic oil,
to which its flavor is due. It has been estimated that a pot
of tea as ordinarily made does not contain more than a
grain of nitrogen, so that as a food it has practically no
value. But properly made, and drunk in small quantities,
it is a harmless stimulant, and, therefore, an aid to diges-
tion. This does not mean that it is a suitable drink for the
young. It is, in fact, very unsuitable, like every other
stimulant, because of its effect on the development of the
nervous system. It is useful to elderly people, and those
130 HANDBOOK OF DOMESTIC SCIENCE
with a delicate stomach incapable of digesting much food,
for it prevents a waste of tissue, thus enabling the drinker
to get along with less food. But it must be remembered
that it does not take the place of food, and that, used in
excess, it is undoubtedly a poison.
Physiological Effects. — Tea markedly increases respira-
tion. For this reason it aids in the assimilation of food
by supplying to the body a greater quantity of oxygen. As
a nerve stimulant it must excite somewhat the digestive
juices, but on the whole its chief value is its aid to assimila-
tion. For this reason it should be drunk after eating rather
than before, or during a hearty meal.
Its action on the skiii is very noticeable, causing per-
spiration. For this reason it is very cooling. In popular
parlance it is ''the cup that cheers," and undoubtedly it has
a refreshing influence on the mind. As the Chinese say,
'' It tends to clear away impurities, to drive olf drowsiness,
and to remove or prevent headache."
Page 63
Presented as published in 1900. 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
Ask the same question about the national dish of Italy, viz., wheat, macaroni, and polenta (corn meal) cooked with cheese made from skim milk ; about the Indian and Chinese food of rice combined with peas and beans ; about the miso the Japanese composed of rice and fermented barley, with beans or peas; about the Creole dish of rice and red beans ; and corn meal, bacon, and molasses of our Southern negroes.
Method. — Much the same method may be pursued in the study of this section as has been already suggested for the previous section.
Use first Chart II, asking such questions as will lead them
to see at a glance the relative economy of the different foods. Then give them the table and let them work out problems such as these : —
(1) From the articles given in this table, select a bill of fare for three meals. Compute the cost and the food value of each. If the dietary first proposed is one-sided, make it right, and again compute the cost.
(2) Substitute equally nutritious but cheaper foods. Again compute the cost. Is the first bill of fare worth the additional cost ?
(3) Suppose that a man was compelled to eat pork and beans for half his entire diet, how many pounds of beans must he eat for the requisite amount of proteid ? How much carbohydrate does this quantity yield ? How much pork must be added to make the food value nearly perfect ?
Tea
Food Value. — Tea is of variable compositions. Its most important constituent is theine, which makes from one to four per cent. With this is combined tannin (sixteen to twenty-seven per cent). Its other constituents are caseine, gum, sugar, starch, oil, vegetable fibre, and an aromatic oil, to which its flavor is due. It has been estimated that a pot of tea as ordinarily made does not contain more than a grain of nitrogen, so that as a food it has practically no value. But properly made, and drunk in small quantities, it is a harmless stimulant, and, therefore, an aid to digestion. This does not mean that it is a suitable drink for the young. It is, in fact, very unsuitable, like every other stimulant, because of its effect on the development of the nervous system. It is useful to elderly people, and those
with a delicate stomach incapable of digesting much food, for it prevents a waste of tissue, thus enabling the drinker to get along with less food. But it must be remembered that it does not take the place of food, and that, used in excess, it is undoubtedly a poison.
Physiological Effects. — Tea markedly increases respiration. For this reason it aids in the assimilation of food by supplying to the body a greater quantity of oxygen. As a nerve stimulant it must excite somewhat the digestive juices, but on the whole its chief value is its aid to assimilation. For this reason it should be drunk after eating rather than before, or during a hearty meal.
Its action on the skiii is very noticeable, causing perspiration. For this reason it is very cooling. In popular parlance it is ''the cup that cheers," and undoubtedly it has a refreshing influence on the mind. As the Chinese say, '' It tends to clear away impurities, to drive olf drowsiness, and to remove or prevent headache."