THE CHINESE WAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 21, 26 January 1933, Page 9

THE CHINESE WAY.

NEW; YEAR WELCOMED

LAVISH SPREAD PROVIDED.

BIRDS* NEST SOTTP, SHARK FINS

In an Oriental setting at the -home of a Chinese market gardlener and the aroma of dishes relished by Chinese, hut viewed with a little suspicion by Europeans, owners of Tamaki market gardens with their employees (including many Maoris) welcomed in the Chinese New Year last night at midnight. No doubt their folk at home 1 in Ganton, Hongkong, Kowloon, Shanghai, Manchuria, or wherever they happen to be, would celebrate the New Year with nrach greater gusto than did the Chinese last night at Tamaki, because there is not the scope here such as offers in the homeland, where the celebrations are carried out on a big scale, and where fireworks play an important part. At the Midnight Hour. Actually the big dinner arranged by the Tamaki Chinese was not served last night till midnight, but knowing tljat all good Europeans in Auckland should be in bed long before that hour, the nine guests who had been invited to eliare in the celebrations were lavishly entertained at a dinner which took the best part of two hours to get through. And what a dinner! There were dishes, or rather bowls, of delicacies which the guests had never seen before and prob- i ably will , not see again, the long table being literally loaded with eatables and drinks. As hosts the Chinese were the last word in hospitality, and behind each guest as he sat at the table were one or more Chinese who saw to it that the glasses were kept filled, the while they enjoyed watching the efforts .of the diners, to wangle pieces of roast duck, roast fowl, or Chinese sausage from bowls on the tips of pairs of chopsticks. On the floor burned Chinese joss sticks, and busy at a large open fire was the cook, who expertly cut up a pig which had been, cooked whole. Eyery-

thing was served steaming hot in large bowls, and the guests at the table helped themselves. Birds' nest soup, containing all kinds of ingredients, even including sharks fins, was placed in a large bowl in the centre of the table, and here and there were dishes of roast duck, roast fowl, roast pork, toiled duck, Chinese sausage, chop suey, roast kidney, and a dozen or so other dishes which might have been anything, but all of which tasted delicious. Flow of Refreshments. Nectarines, peaches, plume, _ grapes, and paw-paw comprised the dishes of fruits. There were aerated waters, bottles of ale and stout, gin, Chinese whisky, also a favourite European make of whisky, Chinese sherry, and even bottles of champagne, and, probably to make the dinner seem more like home to the guests, tea and cakes were also supplied.

The guests, after honouring numerous toasts and thanking their hosts, came away feeling convinced that in catering for the "inner man" the Chinese have nothing to learn.