It’s no secret that Japanese people have a deep affection for noodles. Like in the rest of East Asia, noodles are an important staple food, second only to rice. Japanese people have enjoyed noodles for over 1,000 years. The first noodles came from China and were introduced around 800 CE. As time passed, noodles in Japan not only became widespread but also developed some unique Japanese characteristics.
The three most popular types of noodles in Japan are ramen, soba, and udon. Ramen, typically made from wheat flour, is usually thin and firm. The dough is kneaded and left to rest before it is stretched and cut into noodles. This step helps improve the texture of the noodles. They are often served in hot soup with either a soy sauce or miso base. However, different regions of Japan have their own specialty broths.
While Japanese people recognize that ramen was inspired by Chinese cuisine, soba and udon are considered thoroughly Japanese creations. Many Japanese ask, “Do you like soba or udon?” in the same way people in other cultures ask, “Are you a cat or a dog person?”
Photo: Shutterstock: 照片：Shutterstock提供
Soba noodles are made of buckwheat flour mixed with wheat flour. They are usually light brown and served in either a hot or cold broth with a salty dipping sauce called tsuyu. Cold soba noodles, served with seaweed and wasabi, are popular in the hot summer months. In winter, people enjoy soba in hot soup with fried tempura.
Udon noodles, also made from wheat flour, are unique because of their thickness, usually four to six millimeters. Udon noodles are soft, chewy, and filling. Like soba, they can be enjoyed both hot or cold, depending on the season. Similar to ramen, different regions of Japan boast their own style of udon noodles and broths.
日本人熱愛麵食是眾所周知。和在東亞其他地區一樣，麵條是一項重要的主食，僅次於米飯。日本人已享用麵食一千多年了。最早的麵條來自中國，大約在西元 800 年左右引進到日本。隨著時間過去，麵條在日本不僅變得普遍，還發展出了一些獨特的日本特色。
在日本，最受歡迎的三種麵條種類是拉麵、蕎麥麵和烏龍麵。拉麵一般由小麥麵粉製成，通常細而結實。麵團被拉長並切成麵條前經過揉捏和靜置。這個步驟有助於提升麵條的口感。拉麵麵條通常會搭配以醬油或味噌為基底的熱湯。然而，日本的不同地區也有其各自的招牌湯底。
雖然日本人承認拉麵是受到中國料理的啟發，但蕎麥麵和烏龍麵被視為完全是日本的創作。就像其他文化中人們會問：「你是貓派還是狗派？」許多日本人會問：「你喜歡蕎麥麵還是烏龍麵？」
蕎麥麵麵條是由蕎麥粉混合小麥粉製成的。它們通常呈淺褐色，被放在熱或冷湯中供應，搭配名為鰹魚汁的鹽味蘸醬。在炎熱的夏季，冷蕎麥麵搭配海帶和山葵很受歡迎。而在冬天，人們喜歡將蕎麥麵放入熱湯中，再搭配炸天婦羅。
烏龍麵麵條也是用小麥粉製成，其獨特之處在於厚度，通常為四至六毫米。烏龍麵麵條軟而有嚼勁，且讓人有飽足感。與蕎麥麵類似，它們可以根據季節的不同以熱或冷食享用。跟拉麵一樣，日本的不同地區擁有各自風格的烏龍麵麵條和湯底。
To be continued tomorrow（明日待續）
https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang
Words in Use
1. staple a. 主要的，經常需要的
People in this area live on a staple diet of rice and fish.
這個區域的人們以米和魚為主食。
2. widespread a. 普遍的；廣泛的
The widespread use of computers has made it more convenient to communicate.
電腦的普遍使用讓溝通更加方便了。
3. characteristic n. 特色
Honesty is Charlotte’s most notable characteristic.
誠實是夏綠蒂最顯著的特色。
4. flour n. 麵粉
The first step in making this dish is to combine the eggs with the flour.
做這道菜的第一步就是將雞蛋和麵粉和在一起。
5. recognize vt. 承認；認可
Ken finally decided to recognize his mistake and apologize for any inconvenience he caused.
阿肯終於決定承認自己的錯誤，並為他造成的不便道歉。
Practical Phrases
1. have an affection for... 深愛著…
affection n. 喜愛，鍾愛
Stephen has a deep affection for his grandchildren.
史蒂芬深愛著他的孫兒們。
2. be second to... 僅次於…
In terms of expertise, Anna is second to John on the team.
在團隊裡，安娜在專業知識上僅次於約翰。
3. depending on... 視…而定（為片語介詞）
We may have a picnic tomorrow, depending on the weather.
我們明天可能會去野餐，依天氣而定。
聽文章朗讀及講解: https://ivy.pse.is/455bfu
本文出自常春藤解析英語雜誌: www.ivy.com.tw
RSS