Piranhos, Cueca (1854); Bird-Nest Soup (1818)

Bapopik at AOL.COM Bapopik at AOL.COM
Tue Jan 29 01:10:37 UTC 2002


A SKETCHER'S TOUR ROUND THE WORLD
by Robert Elwes
London: Hurst and Blackett
1854

   This is a very enjoyable book.  Gee, it sure would be great to travel around the world.
   "Piranha" and "Cueca" are antedates of 15+ years.

Pg. 45:  The _cuisine_, however, was not well furnished, so I had to make acquaintance with the regular Brazilian dishes, farinha and fajao, which are to the natives here what potatoes are to the Irish.  Farinha is Mandioco flour, and fajao a sort of small black bean, neither of them bad when eaten as vegetables, but poor fare alone.
(OED has "farinha," but "fajao"?--ed.)
Pg. 62:  ...dried beef, carne sertao (country meat) as it is called....
Pg. 63:  ...piranhos (Myletes macropomus)....
(OED/M-W have 1869 for "piranha."  I didn't copy the page because I didn' think it was an antedate--ed.)
Pg. 65:  ..._carne seco_ (jerked beef)....
Pg. 113:  The flakes of meat are put by to make jerked beef, so called from he native name "charqui"...
Pg. 142:  Felipe Dominguez gave us a very good supper: a large dish of fowls, potatoes, onions and tomatoes, stewed up and garnished with chillies, was placed on the table, and each taking his plate, helped himself.  This is the national Chili dish called "Casuela," and will almost bear comparison with Meg Merriles' famous soup.
(OED has "cazuela" in "cassolette"--ed.)
Pg. 145:  ..._puna_, shortness of breath....
Pg. 155:  The national dance, the Samuqueca, seemed to be the favourite.
(OED has "Cueca" or "Zamacueca" from 1917--ed.)
Pg. 228:  The missionaries have taught the natives a new game at football, and at this they are always playing, and think of nothing else.
Pg. 263:  "Hi!"
Pg. 287 (Australia):  Convicts, transported for life, are called "bellowsers"....
Pg. 322:  One of the delicacies was _beche-la-mar_ soup, which I tasted for the first time.
Pg. 343:  Joss being he word for God.
Pg. 344:  "Pigeon" is the Chinese imitation of the difficult word "business."
Pg. 350:  Bird's-nest soup is rather an expensive luxury....

--------------------------------------------------------
NARRATIVE OF A VOYAGE IN HIS MAJESTY'S LATE SHIP ALCESTE, TO THE YELLOW SEA, ALONG THE COAST OF COREA
by John McLeod (also "M'Leod"--ed.)
Philadelphia: M. Carey and Son
1818

Pg. 114:  Bird-nest soup is also handed round as a great treat, to which the Chinese attribute very extraordinary and invigorating qualities.

(OED has a Chinese "Bird's nest" dish in the 1700s, but it's not clear it's a soup--ed.)



More information about the Ads-l mailing list