page Four-B
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Friday, September 6, 1914
Page Four-B THE MICHIGAN DAILY Friday, September 6, 1974
Argentina's old gray mares
ain't what they used to be
By HENRY S. ACKERMAN
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (R) - Argentina's fabled
horse herds have been disappearing into Japanese suki-
yaki and Belgian brochettes, but the government has
moved to impose some controls.
According to official figures, the country's horse
population dropped from 10 million in 1950 to about two
million. At that rate, horses would be extinct here in a
decade, some authorities say.
Meat packers contest those figures and argue that
unnecessarily harsh controls deprive the government of
a rich source of income. They say new measures will cut
the trade in horsemeat by 75 per cent.
In 1973, Argentina was the world's major exporter
of horsemeat, selling 55,000 tons for $43 million. This
year the quantities are much lower, but the price is
almost double - up to $1,400 a ton.
The Japanese bought almost half of the export
last year, using it as a beef substitute and grinding it
into sausages. Belgian specialty shops sold 14,000 tons
in 1973, largely to heart patients and gourmets.
An oldtimer in the meat industry says the taste for
horsemeat comes from Napoleon's disastrous Russian
campaign. Starving troops had to choose between their
mounts or their saddles.
People have eaten horsemeat ever since in France
and Belgium. A generation ago, Dutch workers were
eating thin-sliced smoked horsemeat rolled into sand-
wiches before World War II.
A healthy demand is growing for horsemeat in other
countries, not only as a poor second to beefsteak, but
also because many like its lean texture and sweetish
taste.
In Argentina, where sirloin steak is the staple, there
is virtually no market.
Since there is no local supply problem, authorities
say, scant records are kept on slaughters, and many
congressmen grew suddenly alarmed.
New regulations say no horse may be killed if it is less
than 12-or 15, in some cases - years old or unless it is
sick or lame. New rules are under preparation to limit,
slaughter even more.
"Somewhere down the line the government has to
realize that horses have a commercial value," said one
major exporter.
As the system works, horse buyers in jeeps survey!
farflung ranches and round up animals at about $250.
each. When enough are assembled, they are trucked
to slaughter houses, inspected for fever and then dis-
patched, one at a time, with small pistols firing drug
government. They are declining, naturally, because
more tractors are used. But working horses are still
worth twice as much alive as dead."
For many, it's an emotional question. Horses car
ried conquistadores across the pampas and meant free-
dom for the untamed gauchos who make up the basic
folklore of Argentina.
Most Argentines love horses, whether watching Sun-{
day afternoon races, annual stock shows and or rural
rodeos. The small sturrdy "Creole" breed is more a part
of Argentina than the tango.
One grizzled gaucho told a friend recently at a na
tional rodeo:
"Lots of people are selling horses to packing plants
for 2,000 pesos ($200). I would sell my wife before my
horse."
Sugar too costly
Try oney instead!
By TOM HOGE,
AP Writer
Daily Photo by MARGOLICK
FROM STABLE TO TABLE is the route these animals would take if they made their home in Argentina. There's no need to
worry though, these horses are native to Michigan. Despite last winter's meat shortage, horeburgers are not nearly as popu-
lar here as in the Pampas. The equine population there has been threatened by the increasing demand for horse meat.
Herbs key to New England meals
By TOM HOGE
AP Writer
Weekending not long ago at a
venerable inn in the lovely
Massachusetts village of Old
Sturbridge, I learned some
things I never knew about
herbs, which form the basis of
much New England cookery.
For one thing, New England
housewives learned years ago
that the seeds of the nastur-
tium, that quaint, funnel-shaped
flower, make a pretty good sub-
stitute for capers, if you are
whipping up a salad or sauce.
If there are no nasturtium
seeds handy, take some fresh
young peas and bottle them in
vinegar for a couple of months.
A list of herbal hints was giv-
en us by an amiable young
woman in the old village which
is in reality a rambling mu- ever soup the lady of the house When I made,
seum area where you can happens to be making about 20 red wine which
watch villagers grind yellow minutes before it is ready. depth of flavor.
cornmeal the way our fore- Two other methods of spicing I large onion
fathers did and demonstrate up soup were suggested. 1 cup celery dic
how to cook in brick ovens. -Tie together with string two 2 carrots sliced
Some of the hints were pretty sprigs of fresh parsley, sum- 1 quart water
far out. One said that anyone mer cavory, thyme and marjo- 4 tablespoons bu
who shies away from drinking ram and lower that into the 4 ounces dry re
black coffee at night should, as bubbling soup about 15 minutes. 2 potatoes slice
a substitute, drop some mint -Cut a slice or so of bread 1 tomato sliced
into boiling water and sweeten into small cubes after spread- 2 beef cubes dis
the mixture with honey. Coffee Ing lavishly with b u t t e r. water
still sounds better. Sprinkle the bread cubes with Sate e
I was interested in the soup parsley, chives and thyme and alt and pepper
bags housewives use in the toast under the broiler. Just be- Saute onion and
area. Much like the French fore serving put two or three , ter till slightlyY
bouquet garni, these two-inch bread cubes into each soup carrots and tom
squares of cheesecloth tied with bowl. I tried that one and it's and wine in soup
string are filled with a mixture delicious. partly cooked ad
of dried and powdered herbs in- Here is a recipe they gave ion, beef cubes an
cluding parsley, savory, thyme, me for New England vegetable , till vegetables ar
chervil and marjoram. soup that goes well with any of herbs by any oft
The bag is dropped into what- these herb seasoning methods. suggested above.
I
added dry;
gives more
ed
utter
d wine
d
solved in
to taste
During my brief stay in a
German prison camp during
World War II, there was pre-
cious little sugar with the mea-
ger rations. But to my surprise,
the Germans occasionally la-
vished generous dollops of hon-
ey on the coarse black bread
they doled out each day.
This became more under-
standable a f t e r I recently
thumbed through Hazel Berto's]
book, "Cooking With Honey."
(Crown). According to Mrs.
Berto, the honey bee has sur-
vived disasters, presumably in-
cluding wars, famine, and the1
inroads of civilization to contin
ue supplying man with its nec-!
tar.
Despite bulldozers that wiped
out her meadows and deadly in-!
secticides, the bee has contin-
ued to gain usage in a health-
conscious nation.
There is a growing trend
,away from refined white sugar,.
whose easy solubility allows it
to pass through the walls of thea
stomach. Some disciples of nat-
ural cooking substitute raw or
dark brown sugar, but the most
popular substitute is honey.
This natural, unrefined food'
is unique because it is said to
be the only unmanufactured!
sweet available in commercial
quantities. Since 75 to 80 per
cent of its composition is sug-
ars, honey has an energy-pro-!
ducing value that is virtually
unmatched.
Football players, swimmers
and runners use honey for
quick energy. And, Mrs. Berto
says that Sir Edmund Hillary
included it on his Mt. Everest
expedition.
We have some 1,200 com
mercial bee keepers in Amer-
ica and with more than 300,000
amateur apiarists, this country
produces about one third of the
world's 900 million pounds of
honey a year.
There are innutmerable fla-
vors of honey to choose from
but most of it is made from or-
ange, locust, sage, maple, blue=
berry, blackberry, buckwheat,
clover and fireweed. Clover,
sage and fireweed are among
the milder types and are good
for general cookery.
One dish I like is chicken
breasts basted with honey and
Port wine.
4 chicken breasts, boned,
skinned and split
1 cup honey
1 cup Port wine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Dash nutmeg
Dash mace
Salt and pepper to taste
Season chicken with salt and
pepper, place on broiler and
cook until tender, or about M5
minutes. Turn and . bast
frequently with mixture of bon-
ey and the other ingredients.
Serves 4-5. Good with a chilled
rose wine.
[celery in but- capsules.
browned. Add The hair is sold separately. Bones and hoofs are
nato to water
p kettle. When ground into tallow. Blood is dried for fertilizer. And
Id potatoes, on- chilled, plastic-wrapped meat is shipped off to market.
end cook slowly Some knowledgeable stockmen challenge the gov-j
e tender. Add
three methods ernment's premise. Said one: "No one has good figures
on the number of horses in Argentina, not even the
i
The Housing Division feels t h a t students should be f r ee to concen-
trate on academic (and other) pursuits without added worry of dietary
requirements. Therefore, University Residence Halls o f f e r "Optional
Meal Contracts" for University students living in Baits, Fletcher, an d
in non-University housing.
" available at most halls
Fall
Term
Winter
Term
Fall and Winter
Terms
* select one convenient location
* initiate or cancel at your request
9 select lunch,or dinner,or both
Both meals
(excludes Sunday lunch)
Lunch only
(excludes Sunday lunch)
Dinner only
$353.16
$148.24
,223.45
$375.84
$157.76
$237.80
$729.00
$306.0
$461.25
" re-serves on nearly all foods. Salad bars, soft drinks,
and soft serve ice cream available for both meals.
* reasonable prices:
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