Miscellanea Curiosa, Vol. 3 · Royal Society
_SIR_,
A Bustard, which they roast and stew, and make an excellent Dish of its Guts, I eat of it once; to me it seemed very pleasant and savoury, and very grateful to the Stomach. This Bird is fit for their King's Table, as likewise the Hedgehog, of which I will give an Account anon. Then they have _Ragous_, made with Sparrows, Pidgeons, _&c._ Their Drink is plain Water, or Milk, and sometimes _Rob_ of Wine mixed with Water. I was once treated with this by the Bashaw of _Suse_, _Abdolmeleck ben Alchotib_, and there was brought to me a great Bowl which held above three Quarts; he told me there was not above half a Pint of this _Rob_ in it, and the rest was filled up with Water. It was very generous and pleasant, and tho' I did not drink a quarter of it, yet I found the Strength in half an Hour. This they say is a Remedy against Cold likewise, and pretend to take it medicinally; tho' _Rob_ of Grapes is lawful according to their[20]Law. Under this Pretext, many _Fessee_ Merchants, to make _Rob_, or Vinegar, press all the Grapes in their Vineyards, put it up in great Jars, under Ground, and keep it long, so that it proves excellent Wine. When four or five merry Companions, with every one his Mistress, appoint to be merry, they go out to their Vineyard or Garden, have Musick, and all or most of these Dishes, and there sit and carouse over a great earthen Bowl full of Wine, of about four or five Gallons, and so drink round in a Cup that will hold almost a Pint, like a large Tea Dish, till there is none left; it often happens that they do not part till they have made an end of the whole Jar, which seldom is less than a Weeks time. I have known some that have been nine Days successively drunk; those that are known to drink Wine or Piss standing, their Testimony will not be valid in Law.
In a Morning, during this time of Merriment, they are for some savoury Bit, _Pickled Fish_, or _Escaveche_, or _Elcholle_. They are great Lovers of Fish, and have as great Variety and very good, which they fry in _Organ Oil_, stew, roast, and bake, with good store of Spice, Onions, Garlick, Cummin, Parsly, and Coriander. The _Escaveche_, or fry'd Fish, is cut in thin slices, and put into Vinegar, with the aforesaid Spices, adding Saffron, and Pepper, _&c._ It will keep above a Month, and this they have commonly, as also pickled Limes, Olives, Capers, _&c._ They eat parched _Garavancas_, parched Almonds, and Beans, which they parch in a Pan with Water and Salt. These, and other things, they have to relish their Glass of Wine, or give them a fresh Appetite to drink. They say, to cure the ill Effects of a drunken Bout, is, to take a swinging Cup of the same Liquor, which invites them to more, and so on. But I have left some Dishes, by this Digression, to give an Account of their extravagant Mirth.
The Hedgehog is a princely Dish among them, and before they kill him rub his Back against the Ground, by holding its Feet betwixt two, as Men do a Saw that saws Stones, till it has done Squeaking; then they cut its Throat, and with a Knife cut off all its Spines and singe it. They take out its Guts, stuff the Body with some Rice, sweet Herbs, Garavancas, Spice, and Onions; they put some Butter and Garavancas into the Water they stew it in, and let it stew in a little Pot, close stopped, till it is enough, and it proves an excellent Dish. The _Moors_ do not care to kill Lamb, Veal, nor Kid, saying it is a Pity to part the Suckling from its Dam. They eat with their boil'd Meat, many times Carrots, Turnips of two or three sorts, Cabbage, Beans, and Pease, _&c._ which they have plenty, and very good. I have eat of Porcupine stewed, which much resembled Camels Flesh in Tast, and that is the nearest to Beef of any thing I know.
I come now to give an Account of the _Alcholea_: It is made of Beef, Mutton, or Camel's Flesh, but chiefly Beef, which they cut all in long slices, salt it well, and let it lie twenty four Hours in the Pickle. Then they remove out of those Tubs, or Jars, into others with Water, and when it has lain a Night, they take it out, and put it on Ropes in the Sun and Air to dry; when it is thoroughly dri'd, and hard, they cut it into pieces of two or three Inches long, and throw it into a Pan, or Chauldron, which is ready, with boiling Oil and Suet sufficient to hold it, where it boils till it be very clear and red, if one cuts it, which, taken out, they set to drain: When all is thus done, it stands till cool, and Jars are prepared to pot it up in, pouring the Liquor they fried it in upon it, and as soon as it is thoroughly cold they stop it up close. It will keep two Years, it will be hard, and the hardest they look on to be best done. This they dish up cold, sometimes fry'd with Eggs and Garlick, sometimes stew'd, and Lemon squeezed on it. It is very good any way, either hot or cold.
Before I conclude, I willingly give an Account of their Travelling-Provision, _viz._ Bread, Almonds, Raisons, Figs, hard Eggs, cold Fowl, _&c._ But what is most used by Travellers, is _Zumeet_, _Tumeet_, or Flower of parched Barley for _Limereece_. These are not _Arabian_ but _Shilha_ Names, so I believe it is of a longer standing than the _Mahometans_ in that Part of _Africk_. They are all three made of parched Barley Flower, which they carry in a Leather Satchel. _Zumeet_ is the Flower mixed with Honey, Butter, and Spice; _Tumeet_ is the same Flower done up with _Organ Oil_; and _Limereece_ is only mixed with Water, and so drank: This quenches Thirst much better than Water alone, satisfies a hungry Appetite, cools and refreshes tired and weary'd Spirits, overcoming those ill Effects a hot Sun and fatiguing Journey might occasion. This among the Mountaineers of _Suse_ is used for their Diet as well at home as on their Journey.
All things taken in Game, as Hawking, Hunting, and Fowling, are lawful for them to eat, if they take it before it be dead, so that they can have time to cut its Throat, and say, _Bismiillahe_; or if he is known to be an expert Man at the Game, and says those Words before he lets the Hawk take its Flight, lets slip the Grey-hound, or fires his Gun, it is lawful; all (I say, but Swine's Flesh, and what dies of its self) they have Liberty to eat, and may sell it. They tell us there is but one Part about the Hog or Swine that is unlawful, which they do not know, and are obliged to abstain from the whole; but if they knew it, they would let us have but little to our share. They eat Snails boil'd with Salt, and praise their Wholesomeness. Fish of all sorts, are lawful. In _Taffilet_ and _Dra_ most of their Food is Dates, there are ten or a dozen sorts.
They have good Capons all the Country over; no Turkeys, Ducks, nor Geese but wild, and those they have of two sorts; Duck, Teal, and Mallard, Curlews, Plovers, Snipes, Ox-birds, Pipers, a sort of a black Crow, with a bald Pate, and long crooked Bill, is good Meat, and a hundred other sort of Fowl. I have eat Antelope, which we have kill'd in hunting, and are very good Food. They are as large as a Goat, of a Chestnut Colour, and white under the Belly; their Horns are almost quite streight from their Head up, tapering gradually, with Rings at a distance from one another, till within an Inch and a half of the top; fine large black Eyes, long and slender Neck, Feet, Legs, and Body, shaped somewhat like a Deer; they have two Cavities between their Legs, I think the Male as well as the Female. I have sent of these Antelopes alive to _England_. There are many in a Herd, when at the same time they have Scouts, or those who by running give 'em notice of an approaching Foe. When two lie down together, they lay themselves so, that their Backs are towards each other, and the Head of one towards the Tail of the other, that they may see every way. Their Dung is sweet and pleasant enough. They are taken sometimes by the Hawk, sometimes by the Shot; for they are too swift for a Grey-hound. Partridges in _Sus_ commonly roost on Trees; there are so many Foxes which would otherwise destroy them.
And here I should make mention of another Dish: The _Moors_ will eat Fox, if it be Fat, either stewed or roasted, but they do not care for it lean, which has occasioned a Proverb among them on that Account, to wit, _Hellel deeb, harom deeb_; alluding to the Scruple might be made of its lawfulness. Those Words signifie, a Fox is lawful, and a Fox is unlawful; _i. e._ Fat, Lawful; Lean, Unlawful. [Sidenote: Lat. 30, or thereabouts.] Fruits and Sweat-Meats they have of many kinds, as of three or four sorts of Pumpkins, Macaroons, Almonds prepared many ways, Raisins, Dates, Figs dry and green, excellent Melons of two or three sorts, and Water-Melons, Pomegranates of several kinds, Apples, Pears, Apricocks, Peaches, Mulberries white and black, Plumbs, and Damascens, Cherries,[21]Grapes of many kinds, and very good, and if they would assist Nature, they might have every thing in Perfection. * * * * * Their Salating is Lettuce, Endive, Carduus, Parsley, Apium, and other sweet Herbs, Onions, Cucumbers of several kinds, some about a Yard in length, and two or three Inches thick, and hairy, (this is esteemed the wholesomest) Radishes, _Fumatas_, or Apples of Love, all which they will cut, and put Oil, Vinegar, and Salt, with some red Pepper: This Salate they eat with Bread. They have a Fruit called _Baraneen_, in _Spain_, _Baragenas_; these they stew with their Victuals, and sometimes cut them in thin slices, and fry them; it makes a pretty Dish. When the _Moors_ have feasted, every one washes his Hands and Mouth, thanks God, and blesses the Hosts and Entertainers from whom they had it; they talk a little, or tell some Story, and then lie down to rest, where I shall leave them at present, and do beg your Pardon for so tiresome and frivolous a Discourse. [20] _Alcoran._ [21] Grapes in _Messina_ I have known as big as a Pigeon's Egg; but they do not make Wine. _A Letter from Mr. _John Monro_ to the Publisher, concerning the Catacombs of _Rome_ and _Naples_._
Ideas discussed in this chapter
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.