HOW FOREIGNERS EAT

Greymouth Evening Star, 31 October 1933, Page 8

HOW FOREIGNERS EAT

EUROPEAN TABLE CUSTOMS. Clothes are now much the same all over Europe, and it is no longer pos> sible to tell a man’s country after one glance at his boots or the shape of his hat. But there is just one thing left as an obvious label to the different nations —and that is their respective foods, says M. V. Marden, in the “News-Chronicle.” London tailors may cut. for the world, and French berets be found in the Highlands, but no nation ever forsakes its favourite dish or its particular type of meals. The foreigner travelling through England for the first time would get the impression that “tea” was the Englishman’s chief meal. And to a great extent, it is the national meal; for whether it be the 5 o’clock collation of China brew and cucumber sandwiches, the half-past four o’clock “school-room” tea of muffins, jam and honest, stodgy cakes, or the six o’clock feed of the working man, it. will never be omitted.

The English are fond of picnics—when the weather is kind —but for the most part, they take their meals in comfort, and the popular restaurants diffuse an atmosphere of stolidity with their luxurious seats, large-looking-glasses, and orchestras whence flow a gentle ripple of Italian and Gilbert and Sullivan opera music. The French and Italians have a passion for the bustle and life of the streets, and for choice will eat at small tables phi cod on the pavements. Consequently little attention is- paid to the internal decorations of their cafes and i-i.sta.uran is, and they do not mind hard-bottomed cane chairs to sit on. Germans demand foo-d—good and plenty of it —wherever they may he: so every mountain-top and goal of an expedition is graced by an eating-house or beer-garden. "Ye Okie English” fashion is translated in Germany to rustic settings, where the waiters and waitresses are dressed as picturesque peasants.

A speciality of Germany is the use made of cellars and underground rooms for eating, and the Rathans Keller in a. town —a, subterranean restaurant under the Town Hall —often holds pride of place in the providing of good food.

Holland has her milk shops—glorified dairies where excellent, meals can bo obtained, as well as milk and chccso. Automatic restaurants are also very popular in Amsterdam. Czechoslovakia, has a unique characU rtistic in the fact that practically no "ii'.ertaining is done at home. Hospitality is dispensed in huge cafes that have enormous plate-glass windows, enabling all the world to look on. Finland enjoys fruit as does no other country. The long summer days—there is virtually no night—give the fruit a. wonderful flavour, and a dish of wild strawberries ripened under such conditions and laced with frozen cream has no equal. The relapse in winter t<> dried herrings, etc., must, indeed be bitter!

Sweden and her Smorgasbord--buf-tcr-goo.se-ta.ble, to give. the literal translation —are inseparable. 11 is a table laden with four or five kinds of bread, tai] pyramids of butter and every variety of hors d’oeuvre. The foreigner comes away from Sweden thinking (hat. the Swedes have the most; gigantic appetites, but in reality the Smorgasbord in the ordinary home is only seen before the Sunday dinner,

served at. four o’clock and to enjoy which lunch has been abandoned. Tho northern countries have explored all the delights of cold food, and Denmark is famous for her cold table. This consists of open sandwiches—slices of various sorts of bread spread with tantalising morsels —which are extraordinarily good.