INSTRUCTION IN ECONOMY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3442, 2 March 1920, Page 58

INSTRUCTION IN ECONOMY.

The United States Government has commenced what is called 'the "shark propaganda." The Department of Commerce is, owing to the very high cost of living, advising housewives to "eat shark, and not throw away the heads of fishes and their livers." Fifteen thousand women have already received direct instruction in wholesome and appetising methods of cooking fish in the classes whioh the department has carried on in various cities. A very much larger number of housewives have been indirectly reached by the demonstrations, whose objects have been not only to teach methods of preparing the fish for consumption, but to bring to the attention of American households the dietetic value of fish, and especially of those varieties' or portions of fish which have heretofore been, neglected or regarded as scarcely fit for consumption. In addition to demonstrating the edible qualities of shark, the representatives of the department have demonstrated flounders, rock fishes,, sable fish (Pacific black cod), sand dabs, skates, sole squid, whale, whiting, and the milts and livers of salmon, and the roe and buck of other fishes. The housewives have been taught to buy fish more carefully, and to utilise the heads and trimmings, parts rich in flavour, but usually thrown away. Literally this is the work of teaching how two dinners can be bought for one, and the lesson has been taught that while there is little immediate hope for marked reduction in the price of meat and eggs and milk, there can be found in various kinds of fish now little used, or not used at all, cheap and sustaining food in abundance.