The ruminants furnish, as is well known, the largest portion of our
animal food, being consumed by man alike in civilized or unsettled
countries. The domestic animals require little notice at our hands.
There are, however, some whose flesh is eaten in different countries
that are less familiar. Thus the bison and musk-ox of North America,
the reindeer of Greenland and Northern Europe--the various antelopes,
the gnu, the giraffe, and the camel of Africa, and the alpaca tribe
of South America, supply much of the animal food of the people in the
districts where they are common.
The flesh of the camel is dry and hard, but not unpalatable.
Heliogabalus had camels’ flesh and camels’ feet served up at his
banquets. In Barbary, the tongues are salted and smoked for exportation
to Italy and other countries, and they form a very good dish. The
flesh is little esteemed by the Tartars, but they use the hump cut
into slices, which, dissolved in tea, serves the purpose of butter.
The flesh of the Axis deer (_Cervus axis_, or _Axis maculata_) is not
much esteemed in Ceylon, having little fat upon it, and being very dry.
The India samver, or musk deer, is eaten there.
The flesh of the great moose deer or elk, of North America, the carcase
of which weighs 1,000 or 1,200 lbs., is as valuable for food as beef,
but from its immense size, much of the flesh is usually left in the
forest.
It is more relished by the Indians and persons resident in the
fur countries, than that of any other animal, and bears a greater
resemblance in its flavour to beef than to venison. It is said that the
external fat is soft like that of a breast of mutton, and when put into
a bladder is as fine as marrow.
The flesh of the caribboo, a smaller animal, rarely exceeding 400 lbs.,
is less palatable than moose venison. Nor is the flesh of the red or
Virginian deer much better, although the venison dried is very good.
Venison is not ‘meat’ in the parlance of the backwoodsman; that term,
as Sam Slick tells us, is reserved _par excellence_ for pork; and he
is frequently too indolent or too much occupied otherwise, to hunt,
although deer tracks may be seen in every direction around the scene
of his daily rail-splitting operations. He considers it cheaper to buy
venison of the Indians, when there are any Indians in the locality. But
venison has some solid value even in those parts, and if salted and
smoked, would be entitled to a place among the articles of household
thrift.
Of the Arctic quadrupeds, the reindeer (_Cervus tarandus_) is most
valuable, its flesh being juicy, nutritious, and well-flavoured, and
easy of digestion. They abound in Greenland, and are tolerably numerous
in Melville Island.
In Sweden, roast reindeer steaks and game are dressed in a manner
preferable to that which prevails with us. The flesh is first
perforated, and little bits of lard inserted; and, after being baked in
an oven, it is served in a quantity of white sauce.
The flesh of the young giraffe is said to be good eating. The
Hottentots hunt the animal principally on account of its marrow, which,
as a delicacy, they set a high value on.
The Hottentots have a curious mode of cooking their antelope venison,
which renders it, however, exceedingly palatable. After stewing the
meat in a very small quantity of water, they take it out of the pot and
pound it between two stones until reduced to the consistency of pap,
when they mix it with a considerable quantity of sheep’s fat, and then
stew it for a short time longer. This is an excellent way of preparing
dry flesh of any kind.
‘On one occasion’ (says Lieut. Moodie), ‘after I had taken out my share
of this mess, the Hottentots added a larger quantity of fat to it to
please their own palates; and one of them ate so heartily of the greasy
mixture, that he became seriously unwell, but recovered by chewing dry
roots of the sweet-scented flag (_Calamus aromaticus_). This plant is
very much used by the Dutch for stomach complaints, and they generally
cultivate some of it in wet places in their gardens.’
The eland of Africa (_Boselaphus Oreas_) is the largest of the antelope
tribe, its size being indicated by its generic name. The bulls attain
to the height of nineteen hands at the shoulder, and frequently exceed
1,000 lbs. in weight. It fattens readily on the most meagre herbage of
the desert, and to the delicious, tender, juicy, and wholesome nature
of its flesh every hunter will bear witness, who has regaled himself
on the steaks broiled in the homely style of South African cookery,
with some of the usual condiments or spices to give them an unnatural
relish. The flesh has a peculiar sweetness, and is tender and fit for
use the moment the animal is killed.
It is hunted with avidity, on account of the delicacy of its flesh, but
is very rarely found within the limits of the Cape Colony, having been
driven beyond the Orange River by the progress of colonization.
The hartebeest, an antelope of the size of the Scotch red deer, though
now rather rare, is much prized by the African sportsman. It is also
called caama by the Dutch farmers, and is a favourite object of pursuit
with both natives and colonists. The flesh is rather dry, but of a fine
grain, more nearly resembling the beef of the ox than that of any other
antelope, except, perhaps, the so-called eland or elk of the colonists
(_A. oreas_, Pallas), and it has a high game flavour which makes it
universally esteemed.
The meat of the sassaby (_A. lunata_, Burchell), a rare species, is
tender and well tasted. The flesh of the ourebi of Southern Africa (_A.
scoparia_, Schreber), though dry and destitute of fat, is esteemed one
of the best venisons of the country.
The flesh of the bosh-bok, or bush goat, as its colonial name
implies (_A. sylvatica_, Sparrman), makes good venison, that of the
breast being particularly esteemed. The flesh of the rheebok (_A.
capreolus_, Lichstenstein) is dry and insipid, and relished less than
that of any other of the numerous Cape antelopes. The bush antelope
(_A. silvicultrix_, Afzelius) affords excellent venison, and is much
sought after on that account. The flesh of the ahu (_A. subgutturosa_,
Guldenstaedt) is excellent, and of an agreeable taste. That of the gnu
of South Africa is in great repute both among the natives and Dutch
settlers. Though the meat has a wildish flavour, it is more juicy than
that of most of the antelope tribe, and very much like beef.
The flesh of the alpaca and guanaco is sold in the public shambles of
Peru, Chili, &c.
Sheep’s milk is a common beverage in Toorkistan, where the sheep are
milked regularly three times a day. Goats are very scarce; cows not to
be seen; but the sheep’s milk affords nourishment in various forms, of
which the most common is a kind of sour cheese, being little better
than curdled milk and salt.
If we think ox tails a delicacy, Australians (as we have seen) like
kangaroo tails, and the Cape colonists have fat sheep’s tails requiring
a barrow or a cart on which to support them. The broad fat tail, which
often composes one-third of the weight of the animal, is entirely
composed of a substance betwixt marrow and fat, which serves very often
for culinary purposes instead of butter; and being cut into small
pieces, makes an ingredient in various dishes.
The dried flesh of the argali, or wild sheep, is in Kamtschatka an
article of commerce.
The domestic goat’s flesh is not in much favour anywhere, although that
of a young kid, three or four months old, is very tender and delicate.
Some of the goats are eaten in the Cape Colony, but the flesh is
generally lean and tough. The Malabar goat is a delicate animal, that
browzes on the rocks. It is more sought after than any game in Ceylon,
for, contrary to the general nature of the goat, its flesh is tender
and excellent when broiled.
Bison beef, especially that of the female, is rather coarser grained
than that of the domestic ox, but is considered by hunters and
travellers as superior in tenderness and flavour. The hump, which
is highly celebrated for its richness and delicacy, is said, when
properly cooked, to resemble marrow. The flesh of the buffalo, as it is
misnamed, is the principal, sometimes the only, food of numerous tribes
of North American Indians. It is eaten fresh on the prairies during the
hunt, and dried in their winter villages.
The musk-ox (_Ovibos moschatus_) is of much importance from its size
and palatable rich meat. It has occasionally furnished a rich meal to
arctic explorers. When they are fat, the flesh is well flavoured, but
smells strongly of musk.