Manual of army catering services, 1945. Pt. 2, Recipes / War Office.

Date:
1945
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Manual of army catering services, 1945. Pt. 2, Recipes / War Office. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    289/300 (page 277)
    plants and fruits, especially plants similar to the wild lily (taro), are intensely irritating, and, if eaten, may cause several hours of extreme discomfort. Fruits similar in appearance to tomatoes should be avoided, even though they may have a pleasant odour and are attractive in appear- -ance. In general, red means danger in the jungle. Meat In forests, birds and squirrels are the main sources of meat, but in more open country buffaloes, pig, deer and sambhar are found. . Fish Fish is plentiful in the streams and lakes. Water Running water is usually purer than still water. Small clear streams which flow from inhabited areas are the best sources of drinking water. Water before use must be boiled or sterilized. Water vines and coconuts yield sterile water which need not be boiled or chorinated. Do not suck water direct from water vines as the bark may irritate the lips. Cooking Good cooking is important, the tastier the food, the more efficiently is it absorbed. Dishes can be made savoury by the addition of suitable leaves, shoots and roots, such as ginger, turmeric and lily bulbs. A tin of curry and a few flavouring herbs are easily carried. Fires should be lit at the base of a leafy tree whose foliage will disperse the smoke ; and should be confined to the hours of daylight, Cooking must be limited to baking, roasting and boiling. In the absence of more suitable utensils for boiling, select a large bamboo and peel off the outer skin until only about an + inch of wood remains. Fill the bamboo with water and stuff a few leaves in the top. Lean the bamboo across the fire, supporting it by a forked stick. For baking, wrap the food in sufficient leaves to keep it clean, plaster the packet with mud about #} inch thick to prevent burning, and place it inside glowing embers completely covering it. For roasting, a spit of hard wood which will not readily burn is all that is required. It is of paramount importance that utensils be kept clean. Even a small amount of food left on a knife, spoon, fork or mess tin may be the cause of ptomaine poisoning or dysentery. The foilowing rules must be adhered to :— Keep hands, food and utensils clean. | Wash the hands before eating, using soap, if possible.