EAT DIET

In perusing Apicius only one or two instances of cruelty to animals
have come to our attention (cf. recipes No. 140 and 259). Cruel
methods of slaughter were common. Some of the dumb beasts that were to
feed man and even had to contribute to his pleasures and enjoyment of
life by giving up their own lives often were tortured in cruel,
unspeakable ways. The belief existed that such methods might increase
the quality, palatability and flavor of the meat. Such beliefs and
methods may still be encountered on the highways and byways in Europe
and Asia today. Since the topic, strictly speaking does not belong
here, we cannot depict it in detail, and in passing make mention of it
to refer students interested in the psychology of the ancients to such
details as are found in the writings of Plutarch and other ancient
writers during the early Christian era. It must be remembered,
however, that such writers (including the irreproachable Plutarch)
were advocates of vegetarianism. Some passages are inspired by true
humane feeling, but much appears to be written in the interest of
vegetarianism.

The ancients were not such confirmed meat eaters as the modern Western
nations, merely because the meat supply was not so ample. Beef was
scarce because of the shortage of large pastures. The cow was sacred,
the ox furnished motive power, and, after its usefulness was gone, the
muscular old brute had little attraction for the gourmet. Today lives
a race of beef eaters. Our beef diet, no doubt is bound to change
somewhat. Already the world's grazing grounds are steadily
diminishing. The North American prairies are being parcelled off into
small farms the working conditions of which make beef raising
expensive. The South American pampas and a strip of coastal land in
Australia now furnish the bulk of the world's beef supply. Perhaps
Northern Asia still holds in store a large future supply of meat but
this no doubt will be claimed by Asia. Already North America is
acclimating the Lapland reindeer to offset the waning beef, to utilize
its Northern wastes.

With the increasing shortage of beef, with the increasing facilities
for raising chicken and pork, a reversion to Apician methods of
cookery and diet is not only probably but actually seems inevitable.
The ancient bill of fare and the ancient methods of cookery were
entirely guided by the supply of raw materials--precisely like ours.
They had no great food stores nor very efficie