Page:History of Corea, ancient and modern; with description of manners and customs, language and geography (1879).djvu/326

 302 COBBAN SOCIAL CUSTOMS. kang in winter; and, as we know from experience, a kang makes a comfortable bed after the first night or* two. This is the Chinese kang, which occupies a third or a half of the width of the room, the rest of the floor being covered with brick. But the floor of the Corean room is all kang. The door of the room is in reality a window, opening directly from the wooden platform, where man and woman take off their shoes, whidi never by accident touch the beautifully clean mat on which they sit cross-legged, tailor-fashion, as the Chinese do on their kangs. Food. In eating, each person has a small round table— one foot in diameter, and as much high — ^placed before him, with a latge silver, brass, or pewter bowl, containing rice enough for two meals. This is eaten with a silver or pewter spoon, similar in size to our dinner spoon ; and Chinese chopsticks are used only to pick up the sliced meat, and other accompaniments of rice, off silver or brass plates. In giving a dinner, the small circular table is cast aside, and a long one, seating four, brought from China^ used in its stead. There are as many dishes brought in as there are guests at one table, the host being the first to receive and to taste the food. As the rice is always prepared by steaming, and never by boiling, and is therefore "dry,** a large bowl of hot water is placed on the table, that the rice may be soaked according to taste. They eat the beef of their enormously large shorthorns, and pork, — ^mutton being a rarity, as Corea, like Japan, has no sheep of its own. Yearly there are many sheep crossing the Taloo, purchased at the Corean gate, but are all intended to be used in the various cities as sacrifice to Confuciu& Their large rivers produce many varieties and endless quantities of fish ; and in winter, wild boar, venison of many kindet, pheasant, and occasionally, as in Manchuria^ a delicious variety of ptarmigan and partridge, make a cheap addition to the table fare. Hie poultry yard supplies fowls, ducks, and geese. Their vegetables are varieties of pulse, French bean, garden turnip, cabbage, radish.