Of Food. 419 



pieces, in pease-soup ; but I much doubt whether they 

 are aware of the very great importance of that practice, 

 or that they have any just idea of the manner in which 

 the bread improves the soup. 



The best kind of meat for mixing with these soups 

 is salted pork or bacon or smoked beef. 



Whatever meat is used, it ought to be boiled either 

 in clear water or in the soup ; and after it is boiled it 

 ought to be cut into very small pieces, as small per- 

 haps as barley-corns. The bread may be cut in pieces 

 of the size of large peas, or in thin slices ; and after it 

 is fried it may be mixed with the meat and put into 

 the soup-dishes, and the soup poured on them when it 

 is served out. 



Another method of improving this soup is to mix 

 with it small dumplings or meat-balls, made of bread, 

 flour, and smoked beef, ham, or any other kind of 

 salted meat or of liver, cut into small pieces, or rather 

 minced, as it is called. These dumplings may be boiled 

 either in the soup or in clear water, and put into the 

 soup when it is served out. 



As the meat in these compositions is designed rather 

 to please the palate than for any thing else, the soup 

 being sufficiently nourishing without it, it is of much 

 importance that it be reduced to very small pieces, in 

 order that it be brought into contact with the organs 

 of taste by a large surface ; and that it be mixed with 

 some hard substance (fried bread, for instance, crumbs, 

 or hard dumplings), which will necessarily prolong the 

 time employed in mastication. 



When this is done, and where the meat employed 

 has much flavour, a very small quantity of it will be 

 found sufficient to answer the purpose required. 



