Turkey is the traditional Thanksgiving Day meal in the US. However, it is not often seen in Taiwan, as it is not traditionally part of our cuisine and not widely available in traditional markets, but Taiwanese people still have a chance to try it. One such dish is turkey rice, a popular specialty originating from Chiayi and cooked by a traditional cooking method.
火雞是西方國家感恩節時餐桌上常見的佳餚，但在台灣因不是平常吃的肉類而較少見，市場也不容易買到。不過別以為台灣人不吃火雞，在嘉義就有一道火雞料理，以傳統方式烹調，成為當地招牌菜。
available (adj.) 可獲得的，現成的
Photo: Flickr l 照片：Flickr
originate (v.) 發源；來自
Turkey rice, as its name implies, is sliced turkey served over rice. A sauce made of shallots, garlic and soy sauce is drizzled over the tender and succulent turkey meat. Pickled daikon is often served along with it to counter the greasy feeling which comes when enjoying it. This dish may surprise many foreign tourists who think of turkey as generally being a dry and bland meat.
火雞肉飯是將火雞肉鋪在飯上，肉質軟嫩多汁，淋上以紅蔥頭、蒜頭和醬油熬煮的醬汁，佐以醃蘿蔔解膩，若外國遊客嘗了火雞肉飯後，應會因一改火雞肉乾柴的印象而驚豔。
shallot (n.) 紅蔥頭
Due to being much larger in size than chickens, turkeys require a longer cooking time to ensure they are fully cooked. Unlike in the West, where turkeys are cooked in an oven, in Taiwan they are boiled on top of a stove. It is a challenging task requiring skill in controlling the flame to prevent the turkey from being overcooked on the outside yet undercooked inside. This cooking method can prevent the turkey from being dry and tough. Restaurants in Taiwan specializing in turkey rice have a unique two-step method for making it. They first boil it in a pot for a while and then turn off the heat, letting the turkey continue cooking for several hours in the hot water. This ensures the turkey is fully cooked while retaining its juicy and tender texture.
火雞體型比一般的雞隻大許多，需要更長時間才能熟透。火候控制的技巧是一大考驗，不然待外層煮熟時，裡面可能還未煮熟。為了避免肉質乾柴，口感不佳，火雞肉飯店家對此有獨門妙招，將火雞放進大鍋水煮一段時間，然後關火燜數小時，這能確保雞肉裡外熟透，肉質仍軟嫩多汁。
People in Taiwan haven’t been eating turkey for long. In Chiayi, home of turkey rice, local elders recount how US soldiers who were stationed there introduced turkey to the city after World War II. This led to local farmers raising large birds. The origin of turkey rice can be traced back to the traditional dish lurou fan (braised pork rice). One day when a restaurant owner had a boiled chicken that had been used as an offering, he got the idea to substitute the chicken for the pork in lurou fan. The resulting chicken rice was quite tasty.
其實台灣人食用火雞的歷史不長，據嘉義當地長輩所述，二戰結束後，駐紮在嘉義的美軍引進火雞，台灣人才開始飼養。火雞肉飯其實是沿襲了傳統滷肉飯的做法，創始店最早以賣滷肉飯為主，有天店主想到可以改放拜拜用的水煮雞，一試之下還挺美味。
station (v.) 駐紮，部署
However, chickens were more expensive than turkeys. As turkey is larger in size and less popular in Taiwanese cooking, it became a more affordable alternative at that time. It also has advantages such as having higher nutritional value, leading to the innovation of Chiayi’s signature dish, turkey rice. Today, it’s now easy to find restaurants named “Chiayi Turkey Rice” in almost every city in Taiwan, a testament to the popularity of this local dish.
不過當時雞肉價格較高，火雞肉因非台灣人平常吃的禽肉，體型又大，較一般雞隻便宜，還有營養價值高等優點，於是就有火雞肉飯這道嘉義招牌美食的誕生。現在台灣各縣市幾乎都找的到以「嘉義火雞肉飯」為名的店家，便知道這道美食如此受大眾歡迎。
alternative (n.) 替代品，供選擇的東西
nutritional value (n. phr.) 營養價值
文章由書林出版公司提供：
www.bookman.com.tw
Have you ever dreamed of using an entire city as your training ground, effortlessly moving across walls, buildings, stairs, and obstacles? This is not just a fantasy from the movies. In cities around the world, a group of enthusiasts practice this seemingly impossible sport — “parkour.” The origins of parkour can be traced back to 20th-century France. A military officer named Georges-Hebert witnessed the incredible physical abilities of local residents in Africa, which inspired him to create the Methode Naturelle, or natural method. This training method cleverly combined climbing, running, and swimming with artificial barriers to mimic nature. Later, David Belle
Street lights are often taken for granted until a power outage plunges the world into darkness. When that happens, the value of these lighting installations becomes evident as the world turns into a more dangerous place for pedestrians and motorists alike. The Chinese could claim to be the first to have constructed a crude type of street light. Around 500 BC, residents of Beijing employed a type of street lamp that used hollow bamboo pipes and natural gas vents to create burning torches. Later, ancient Romans adopted lamps fueled by vegetable oil, which relied on slaves to light and
A: Who else is on Billboard’s list: “The 25 greatest pop stars of the 21st Century?” B: No. 15 to 6 are: Miley Cyrus, Justin Timberlake, Nicki Minaj, Eminem, Usher, Adele, Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Kanye West and Britney Spears. A: I can’t believe that Adele’s only at No. 10. B: No. 5 to 1 are: Lady Gaga, Drake, Rihanna, Taylor Swift and Beyonce. A: Well, they surely deserve the honor. A: 《告示牌》雜誌的「21世紀最偉大的25位流行歌手」，還有誰上榜啊？ B: 第15至6名是：麥莉希拉、大賈斯汀、妮姬米娜、阿姆、亞瑟小子、愛黛兒、亞莉安娜、小賈斯汀、肯伊威斯特、小甜甜布蘭妮。 A: 真不敢相信愛黛兒只排第10名。 B: 第5至1名是：女神卡卡、德瑞克、蕾哈娜、泰勒絲、碧昂絲。 A: 這幾位真是實至名歸！ （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
A: The 21st Century is now entering its 25th year. B: So Billboard has released a list: “The 25 greatest pop stars of the 21st Century.” A: Who are the greatest pop singers? B: No. 25 to 16 are: Katy Perry, Ed Sheeran, Bad Bunny, One Direction, Lil Wayne, Bruno Mars, BTS, The Weeknd, Shakira and Jay-Z. A: Wow, my favorite K-pop supergroup BTS has made it to the list. A: 21世紀正在邁入第25個年頭了。 B: 《告示牌》雜誌特別公布：「21世紀最偉大的25位流行歌手」。 A: 最偉大的歌手有哪些？ B: 第25至16名是：凱蒂佩芮、紅髮艾德、壞痞兔、1世代、小韋恩、火星人布魯諾、防彈少年團（BTS）、威肯、夏奇拉、Jay-Z。 A: 哇，我最愛的韓流天團BTS也上榜了！ （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
RSS