arachnivores unite!

Even individuals amongst the more polished nations of Europe are recorded as having a similar taste [in spiders]; so that if you could rise above vulgar prejudices, you would in all probability find them a most delicate morsel. …Reaumur tells us of a young lady, who, when she walked in her grounds, never saw a spider that she did not take and [pop into her mouth] upon the spot. Another female, the celebrated Anna Maria Schurman, used to eat them like nuts, which she affirmed they much resembled in taste, excusing her propensity by saying that she was born under the sign Scorpio.

If you wish for the authority of the learned: Lalande, the celebrated French astronomer, was equally fond of these delicacies, according to Latreille. And if, not content with eating spiders seriatim, you should feel desirous of eating them by handfuls. You may shelter yourself under the authority of the German immortalized by Rosel, who used to spread them upon bread like butter, observing that he found them very useful.

These edible spiders, and such like, are all sufficiently disgusting, but we feel our nausea quite turned into horror when we read in Humboldt, that he has seen the Indian children drag out of the earth centipedes 18 inches long, and more than half an inch broad, and devour them.

i was born under the sign of scorpio AND i am absolutely starving right now. if only this succulent delicacy was still in my kitchen…

from the curiosities of food by peter lund simmonds (1859).

for wunderpantry: 3,000 year-old bog butter »

Bog butter is an ancient waxy substance found buried in peat bogs, particularly in the United Kingdom and in Ireland. Likely an old method of making and preserving butter.

and you thought that century eggs were the oldest delicacies in my cupboard—well you miscalculated by a factor of ten (and a multiple of three)!

on eating a man[atee]

(emphasis mine)

Manatees… are, according to my friend, Chief Justice Temple, frequently caught and brought to the market of Belize, where they are snapped up with the greatest avidity.

The flesh of the manatus is white and delicate, and tastes like young pork eaten fresh or salted, while the fat forms excellent lard. The cured flesh keeps long without corruption, and it will continue good several weeks, even in the hot climate of which it is a native, when other meat would not resist putrefaction for as many days…The fat, which lies between the entrails and skin has a pleasant smell, and tastes like the oil of sweet almonds. It makes an admirable substitute for butter, and does not turn rancid in the sun. The fat of the tail is of a firmer consistence, and when boiled is more delicate than the other fat.

I do not, myself, fancy the flesh of this brute, for it is so inhumanly human—it reminds one so much of a mermaid, or of one of the fifty daughters of Nereus, that to eat it seems to me to be an approximation to cannibalism. It appears horrible to chew and swallow the flesh of an animal which holds its young to its breast, which is formed exactly like that of a woman, with paws resembling human hands.

from the curiosities of food by peter lund simmonds (1859).

the original little cæsar’s menu

suppose that (despite all odds) you have just been elected the chief priest of the roman state religion and you want to show your gratitude (and get a little publicity as well) by throwing a lavish dinner for the felyshyppynge of virgins that tend rome’s fire up at the atrium vestal. what are you gonna prepare?

for starters, they are virgins so you would not want to excite their libidos too much with phalliod sausages or erotic cakes. it might also be a smart political manœuver to keep the lavish menu on the frugal side as the roman economy is in a bear market right now and the last thing that you want to do is give your rascally opponents (catulus and publius) reason to slander you in their blogs.

you are perhaps the world’s greatest political and martial tactician yet your choice in matters culinary is now the most important decision of your life. it’s your move, hot shot.

[spoiler alert] this is the answer: i give you—the menu of dinner given by julius caesar to the vestal virgins after his election as pontifex maximus. rome 63 b.c.

i. service

prickly globe-fish, oysters of different kinds, thrushes, asparagus, fattened chicken, oyster-patties, black and white sea-acorns (a kind of mussels), sea-nettles, fig-packers (snipe), cotelettes of venison and wild boar, fattened wild game powdered with flour

ii. service

swine udders, wild boar’s head, swine-udder patties, ducks, potted teal ducks, roasted wild game, pudding, custard, pientinish sandwiches

wines

falerno, xérès, spanish médoc

image from the buttolph menu collection (this is a real thing) of the new york public library (1888).

a delicacy i have yet to try: chinook olives

Speaking of the Chinooks, Paul Kane describes a delicacy manufactured by some of the Indians among whom he traveled, and called by him ”Chinook olives.” They were nothing more or less than acorns soaked for five months in human urine.

from: the use of human ordure and human urine in rites of a religious or semi-religious character among various nations (1888) [this is a real book]

related: lant

spaghettieis: a novelty ice cream novelty that i desserted on last night »

Spaghettieis is a German ice cream specialty that looks like a plate of spaghetti…In the dish, vanilla ice cream is pressed through a modified spätzle maker to make it look like pasta. It is then placed over whipped cream and topped with strawberry sauce (to simulate tomato sauce) and either coconut flakes, grated almonds, or white chocolate shavings to represent the parmesan cheese…It is not well known outside of Europe.

photo credit: the world wide web

here is the ten course meal that the first class passengers of the titanic (and billy zane) ate for dinner on the evening that it sunk into the caspian sea:

First Course
Hors D’Oeuvres
Oysters

Second Course
Consommé Olga
Cream of Barley

Third Course
Poached Salmon with Mousseline Sauce, Cucumbers

Fourth Course
Filet Mignons Lili
Sauté of Chicken, Lyonnaise
Vegetable Marrow Farci

Fifth Course
Lamb, Mint Sauce
Roast Duckling, Apple Sauce
Sirloin of Beef, Chateau Potatoes
Green Pea Creamed Carrots
Boiled Rice Parmentier & Boiled New Potatoes

Sixth Course
Punch Romaine

Seventh Course
Roast Squab & Cress

Eighth Course
Cold Asparagus Vinaigrette

Ninth Course
Pate de Foie Gras
Celery

Tenth Course
Waldorf Pudding
Peaches in Chartreuse Jelly
Chocolate & Vanilla Eclairs
French Ice Cream

via cookingmonster.com which explains the weirder-sounding foods and reveals what the third class passengers ate as well: gruel. what a bunch of suckers.