Cookbook Treasures: Hippopotamus Stew

So in the past few weeks I have moved, I have helped a friend move, and have restarted work on two major building/crafting projects. During the packing and transporting and gifting of various boxes, a friend offered me two bags of cookbooks for me to look through.

At my writers group meeting the next day I was flipping through the FAHA Ladies and Friends Favorite Recipes - 1986 and found this particular gem nestled between a pasta dish and champagne punch recipe:

Hippopotamus Stew

(From the Wambasi Tribe of Tanganyika)

1 medium size hippopotamus
300 lb. potatoes (white)
189 lb. yellow onions
111 lb. carrots
85 lb. celery, diced
16 lb. pepper
38 lb. salt
1 clove garlic (for just a hint)
1/4 ton parsley
2 rabbits (optional)
          Skin hippo - make certain you remove all the hide. Cut hippo into bite-size pieces. Lay them out and season with salt and pepper. Place in rather large tub. Rub rim of tub with garlic. Add enough water to cover. When water boils, reduce heat and simmer over kerosene stove for about 4 weeks. The day before serving add remaining ingredients. Simmer a little longer until done. This will serve 900 guests. If more are expected, add the 2 rabbits.

Barbara Costa

So there's that.

It's amazing what you can find in some of these older cookbooks.