Page:The Art of Living in Australia.djvu/23

 PREFACE. IX tables at present practically unknown in Australia. For instance, sweet com — which, however, must not be confused with Indian com — is of exquisite flavour, almost melting in the mouth, while it possesses also eminently nourishing properties. It is a great favourite with Americans, and hundreds of acres are required annually for the New York markets alone. But if there is one desirable form of food which we should expect to find in daily use by the whole com- munity, it is surely the salad. More than this, it deserves to meet with favour as a national dish. It takes pre-eminent rank in Southern Europe, and is certainly entitled to occupy a similar high position in the Australian food list. Unfortunately there is just the same story to tell, and the strange neglect of salads can only be expressed by the term incompre- hensible. It is a waste-saving dish ; it is wholesome, in that it is purifying to the blood ; it is full of infinite variety ; and its low price brings it within easy every-day reach even of the humblest dwelling. But, as things are, even the salad plants themselves are represented by a meagre list, and are confined to only few varieties. And as far as salad herbs are concerned, they are literally unknown. Now, although I am strongly of opinion that a more widespread use of fish, vegetables, and salads in Australia would be attended by the happiest results (both by benefiting the national health and by