Travel Diary: On the Good Ship Queen Mary 2, Part 3
Pictured above is a civet cat ((Civettictis civetta). It is not actually a cat, but its own lil' beastie, a meso-level carnivore native to Africa and Asia. The other night the menu in the ship's restaurant offered "Braised Wild Mushroom Civit" as an entree. What could that be, I wondered? The only "civet" I knew of was a small carnivorous mammal native to Asia and Africa. "Surely they didn't braise a civet cat for dinner, ho ho ho!," I jested to my table mates. It was agreed it would spoil the fun to look it up on our phones before the meal. It came. I ate it; it was delicious and meat-free.
After the meal, and some assiduous research I discovered there is an entire "civet cuisine" based on the "distinctive secretions" of the civet cat and "the use of civet in culinary practices dates back centuries, with evidence of its consumption in ancient civilizations." In other words, no civet cats were braised but the chef did use that most appetizing ingredient: "secretions." I suspect this will soon be a key ingredient in fast food offers: "Try the new Burger King Civet Burger, now with extra secretions!"
Civet secretions (yum!) are also used in perfumes and colognes. Later that night, I was watching one of my favorite performances of "Much Ado About Nothing." In Act III, Scene 2, Don Pedro and Claudio are teasing Benedick about how much he's cleaned up his act now that he's in love with Beatrice as pictured here:
The following dialogue ensues:
DON PEDRO: There is no appearance of fancy in him, unless it be a fancy that he hath to strange disguises; as to be a Dutchman today, a Frenchman tomorrow; or in the shape of two countries at once, as a German from the waist downward, all slops, and a Spaniard from the hip upward, no doublet. Unless he have a fancy to this foolery, as it appears he hath, he is no fool for fancy, as you would have it appear he is.
CLAUDIO: If he be not in love with some woman, there is no believing old signs: a’ brushes his hat a mornings; what should that bode?
DON PEDRO. Hath any man seen him at the barber’s?
CLAUDIO. No, but the barber’s man hath been seen with him; and the old ornament of his cheek hath already stuffed tennis balls.
LEONATO. Indeed he looks younger than he did, by the loss of a beard.
DON PEDRO. Nay, a’ rubs himself with civet: can you smell him out by that?
CLAUDIO. That’s as much as to say the sweet youth’s in love.
Two mentions of civet in one day. They say travel broadens the mind and it looks like they were right.
jpj stories by John Jackson is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
