Which dessert best represents Taiwan? Instead of pearl milk tea, pineapple cakes or sun cakes, “xuehua ice” has been listed as one of the top 50 desserts in the world, according to an article by pastry chef-turned-food writer Jen Rose Smith on CNN. Xuehua ice (literally “snowflake ice”), a popular local frozen treat, is known as “shaved ice” or “snow ice” in English.
“Taiwanese snow ice is an invitation to get as creative as you’d like,” Smith wrote in her article, titled “50 of the World’s Best Desserts.” First, you need to shave the ice into a pile of crumbling ice flakes. Then, you can blend it with your favorite treats such as red bean paste and fresh fruit such as mangos, strawberries or pineapples, along with syrup, chocolate sauce or sweetened condensed milk.
Other top Asian sweets chosen by the foodie include sesame balls in China, egg tarts in Hong Kong, light cheesecake in Japan, cendol in Singapore, sticky rice with mango and tub tim krob in Thailand, and gulab jamun and kulfi in India.
Photo: Wu Chun-feng, Liberty Times
照片:自由時報記者吳俊鋒
(Eddy Chang, Taipei Times)
什麼是台灣最具代表性的甜點?不是珍珠奶茶,也不是鳳梨酥、太陽餅,而是被CNN列為全球五十大最佳甜點的「雪花冰」!該報導由點心廚師轉行美食作家的史密斯女士所撰寫。雪花冰是本地受歡迎的冰品,英文叫「shaved ice」或「snow ice」。
史密斯在這篇名為《全球五十大最佳甜點》的文章裡寫道:「台灣的雪花冰簡直讓你的創意大爆發。」首先你要把冰刨成一堆細碎的雪花片,然後和你最喜愛的紅豆沙等配料混合在一起,加上芒果、草莓、鳳梨等新鮮水果,最後再淋上糖漿、巧克力醬或煉乳即可。
這位美食家選出的其它亞洲最佳甜點還包括:中國的芝麻球、香港的蛋塔、日本的輕乳酪蛋糕、新加坡的煎蕊(珍多冰)、泰國的芒果糯米飯和椰香石榴冰、印度的玫瑰漿果和牛奶雪糕…等。
(台北時報張聖恩)
A: After attending Taiwanese baseball superstar Chen Wei-yin’s retirement ceremony in Japan, why didn’t you stay longer for some fun? B: Don’t you remember? We’re going to Blackpink member Jisoo’s fan meeting at Messe Taoyuan this Sunday. A: Oh, that’s right. She’s the second Blackpink member visiting Taiwan as a solo artist after Lisa. B: Jisoo just released her EP “Amortage” on Valentine’s Day. A: Blackpink will also release new songs and launch a world tour this summer. A: 你去日本參加台灣強投陳偉殷的引退儀式後,怎麼沒留下來玩幾天? B: 你忘啦?我們週日還要去「桃園會展中心」參加Blackpink成員Jisoo的見面會。 A: 啊對耶,她是繼Lisa後第二位單飛訪台的Blackpink成員。 B: Jisoo不久前才在情人節,推出個人迷你專輯《Amortage》。 A: Blackpink今年夏天也會推出新歌,還會啟動世界巡演呢! (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張迪)
Imagine standing in a lush forest, surrounded by the songs of birds and the rustling of leaves, with the earthy scent of soil and trees filling the air. This is the essence of forest bathing, a natural experience that brings peace to both body and mind. Originating from the Japanese term “shinrin-yoku,” forest bathing is a simple yet healing activity. It requires no special equipment or skills, just a willingness to disconnect from the digital world and embrace nature. The key is to use all of your senses to fully engage with the forest: feeling the warmth of sunlight on your
A: Taiwan’s baseball superstar Chen Wei-yin announced his retirement, and I’m still in shock. B: Didn’t you fly to Japan last Sunday just to attend his retirement ceremony? A: Yeah, it was held by Chen’s former Japanese team, the Chunichi Dragons. I even cried at the event. B: His glorious record of 96 wins in Japanese and US professional baseball altogether is unprecedented. A: His total income of NT$3.3 billion, including a huge 2016 contract of US$80 million with the US Miami Marlins, is also unprecedented. A: 台灣棒球巨星陳偉殷宣布引退,真是令人震驚。 B: 你週日不是特別飛去日本,參加他的引退儀式嗎? A: 對啊老東家「中日龍」為他舉行了儀式,我還感動到大哭。 B: 他創下日/美職棒總計96勝紀錄,真是史無前例。 A: 而他生涯總收入高達33億台幣,包括在2016年時,和「馬林魚」簽下8千萬美元巨約,更是無人能及! (By Eddy
In another application of artificial intelligence, a team of archaeologists from the Nazca Institute at the University of Yamagata in Japan, in collaboration with IBM Research, have discovered 303 new geoglyphs in the “Nazca” region of Peru. Though these figures are not nearly as large as their Nazca Lines counterparts, their discovery has helped enhance the understanding of the transition from the Paracas culture to the Nazca culture. The AI model, assisted by low-flying drones, was able to accomplish what the naked eye could not—quickly and accurately spotting the smaller relief-type geoglyphs in the desert area. While it previously