HUMOURS OF CEYLON MENUS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 425, 6 February 1909, Page 11

HUMOURS OF CEYLON MENUS.

A menu is ■ an -indispensable adjunct to a respectable:lurioh or.dinner-table in' Ceylon; says a -writer in the "Queen." "As a rub the'appu , (head servant), writes it but,' and from his elementary knowledge of English as . she is wrote spring a host of quaint blunders.' At-the same: time, his'fertile Oriental brain is very apt to add footnotes,'which are, perhis , happiest achievements. -At a luuch : up country there figured among the dishes "fioast Beef," but'ii .->us6d the hostess sonie . consternation when she discovered the additional legend, in-very small .letters: "Roast' Beef (smelling a little)." Qn another occasion, the following frank acknowledgment of deficiency- occurred: -"Steak and Kidney Pie •■-.' '•' : ,; ■ : :'-.. ,• It was; delightful, too,-to--find at a dinner ■ given'right-away''in/ the. north of the islaiid our; old friend Welsh rabbit appearing:. as ,"Welsh/Rubbish.".. The; same genius trans-' formed,.haricot mutton. into ''Hurrygpd Muttbn. J,r Our own' "b6y,"'On the occasion of . "a hastily-improvised' dinner in the northern wilds, was much' distressed.that no'u'ssort was obtainable. < Consequently'. ho put ,'tre' 'laconic: word "Plates" ;at -the'end of. the , iaeriu.- :•■•.■,''-•■ ' ■••"' ■ ■ ■'"• "• '.I, ':' ' ■■'" The native .always ..pronounces "s" as ."is."; Therefore snow pudding is often inscribed as :"Is -No Pudding;" which niight puzzle ahd, disappoint the uninitiated. -The horror : of 'a : newcomer .-to -the -island'"-' can -better . be' imagined than described , when' : he found ; "Mangy Pups" on a'card. only yheri : aiharmless batch of mirice piesappeared'ttat 1 he was slightly reassured;: even then, I'be-. lieve) he-felt "a little doubtful of the-contents.' "Stued'Dear-"-' appears' slightly'carinibalistio at tbe^'first , but- it f presents 'less dif-. : ficulties itiian v: "Chicken Queen- :Alas," •' which ! being: interpreted: means chicken" quenelles ' As for""Fish'£s'Clubsj"'rhave : not discovered: , to , this day^ivhat'•'it/represents, but-it: figured continually: on-our menu".' J '. •"■■;■" : ■-; ■ .; ■ 'A 'friend'of--.'mine one- day. reproached ;her' ■ appu with;the -eternal'-monotony of; 'his' menus.:. .-••■.-.l'-. , :■■'■.-..'• :i '-' : ..- : -i■■•':■,-■'- ■'■'■■ ':-■.;.■■■ •...■ '■• "Can't.you make some change from beef • and-mutton?'-' -. ' : ; ". v'; ■ - :.::'■■' ■■'■ •The next day there figured on;the:menu: '-'Beef-a. 1 la-mutton," ".Mutton a labeef.", -The -"same"'idea- , -is 'apparent in: .',' Chicken a ; la Boil,"'Which appeared, in one menu. The '-'a la" has-great attractibns-for.the-appu. -.'. •-. "A' curious ■'confusion -between-' - f", and. ' native's pronunciation, leads -to strange words;- "Trifle.""''always appears".at : "triple," ; 'and'-oUr-appu: always inquired; if " liady will .have it in a .''fie'-dish.'.? " 'Ori ' the. other' hand, he' called the Florence Hotel . the !!.Plorence;'Ottle.'!, ■': > ..:-".■. -'•■'■ - . ;■■>';■■~ '•-'The- mystery";of "horse-jiiice"/-has.'baffled, jnany a str'anger,:but;it merely',resolves itself, into '. ",-hors v,:d'beuvre." ' when translated.; >" Cold Cow Beef'" presents no such ■difficul- ; tiesj and! is far;inore':picturesque than'-".'the* ordinary .'description.'■'■ ''.Cold ■ Goat" ;■:would' probably •.- be . the-;; truthful., .description.. " Quaokember" is a! delightful rendering"' of .",cueumber,".;that' somehow' brings a vision.- ; of ducklings and green peas before the .mind's: ■: eye. ;■■■■?. , _:■■' ■.::.;:;..;;■..--. -.-..; ': . 'v:,.i--' 'Further humours are provided- by'; 'the table decorations.' 'The 'accomplished appu: ■ chops.upcroton leaves, and weavds the most: ,;. elaborate designs and jiriscriptions' on '"the :.' table-cloth—rcrowns and birds and animals, or .' conventional patterns: in'blends of- red arid . yellow and" green.:, Many. of. them tare quite . artists in.their.way.''. But'their inscriptions are sometimes strangely and wonderfully irre- ' levant... On Christmas ;Day. even the padre ; could riot keep a straight face when we ; found , this.inscription: "For to-day; Christ is born. '■• Hooray!". . vy, ..-. -..•.-,••;.,- ';•■■ ; •-,. :.-.', " : :'.- ■ • . , climax Was Mached,when: this appu, in ■;. anexcess of religious zeal," made a very heavy- .. cake-and-inscribed upon :it. in pink eugar, ;"'Pfepafe to'meet thy'Lord."."''"'.i,' \ ■,■■■.-'