736 
FOOD FOR THE PEOPLE. 
abstract, admits of being said against roasting, boiling, broil- 
ing and frying. The best, or typical results of these national 
operations are undeniably good ; but then, in order to achieve 
such typical results, not only must the raw staple be the 
best, but other conditions, mostly climatic, must lend their 
aid. An English roast or boiled joint never presents itself at 
the grade of typical best unless it has been hung a consider- 
able time, and this is, in certain states of atmospheres and 
temperatures, impossible. A rational and philosophical 
system of cooking should rise above needing the aid of such 
casualties of nature. Given animal fibre exempt from dis- 
ease, and containing the necessary amount of carbon, hydro- 
gen, oxygen, and nitrogen, as made known by analysis, it 
should be within the competence of a rational cuisine to pre- 
sent it to the stomach in an easily digestible blood-and-flesh- 
forming condition. The great defect of our national cookery 
is, that only what are known as prime cuts lend themselves 
with any degree of success to the spit, or boiling kettle, the 
gridiron, or frying-pan. Hence it follows that these prime 
cuts, being used almost exclusively by the rich, who eat 
regardless of expense, are only accessible to the poor at a 
cost which seriously tax their weekly earnings. If the poor 
would look at the case sensibly — if they would study the 
culinary art, giving special attention to the value of small fire 
heat and gentle stewing, they might often live in much 
luxury instead of going forth ill fed and hungry ; but, as a 
class, they are prejudiced against the innovation, and pre- 
judices — especially of eating, drinking, and avoiding — are 
not set aside of a sudden. Moreover — perhaps happily — the 
incidence of a new meat supply from South America and 
Australia is calculated to lessen the pressure already felt of 
the home dearth of animal food. 
If flesh be rapidly sun-dried it may be kept an indefinite 
time in a dry atmosphere without destruction. In South 
America vast quantities are so prepared, and sold under the 
name of cJiarqui. African slaves may eat it, relish it, and— 
more to the purpose — digest it, but English free men — with 
the mild alternative of cats* meat to elect — cannot be expected 
to do so. CJiarqui has been imported, tried, and pronounced 
abominable. Probably it got injured by storage in ships* 
holds; but, anyway, it was a failure. The experiment has 
been tried of importing the flesh ice-packed, but without 
good results. Of better promise was Professor Gamgee*s 
system of sulphurous acid preservation, but still, only a pro- 
mise. Mr. Tallerman tried the experiment of smothering 
Australian flesh in melted tallow, and thus importing it with- 
