If Taiwanese people want to get a small present to share with friends, the first thing they probably think of getting is some pineapple cakes. It’s not just an easy thing to buy: Taiwanese people really like to eat this square-shaped traditional pastry. It is also rich with symbolism as in Taiwanese Hokkien, “pineapple” is pronounced “onglai,” with “ong” meaning “prosperity” and “lai” meaning “to come.” So eating pineapple symbolizes the arrival of prosperity. This auspicious symbolism is one of the reasons pineapple cakes are so popular in Taiwan and often given as souvenirs.
許多台灣人想買禮物送給好友時,最先想到的大概就是鳳梨酥。可別以為是因為鳳梨酥到處都買得到,也是因為台灣人很愛吃這道傳統糕點。鳳梨在台語中鳳梨唸做「旺來」,「旺」是好運,「來」是帶來,「旺來」意思是「好運不斷來」,具有吉祥的寓意,因而成為伴手禮首選。
pastry (n.) 糕餅,糕點
Photo: Flickr 照片:Flickr
souvenir (n.) 伴手禮;紀念品
Taiwan is said to be a “cornucopia of fruit,” and one of its representative fruits is the pineapple. The origin of using pineapple as a filling began in ancient times, when people gave a round pineapple cake as a wedding gift. This eventually evolved into the small, rectangle pineapple cakes that we see today. But decades ago, pineapples had tough fibers and were more acidic. To balance the flavor, Taiwanese bakers thought of adding winter melon jam to the pineapple jam as part of the filling. Winter melons have several advantages, including their easy availability, lower cost, density and delicate taste. But with the improvement of pineapple varieties, today’s pineapples are sweeter and less acidic, so one can find authentic “pineapple cakes” with only a slightly sour taste and thinner fiber.
台灣素有「水果王國」的美譽,鳳梨更是台灣水果中的「水果之王」。鳳梨酥的起源是圓形的鳳梨大餅,為古時候的喜餅,逐漸演變成今日吃的方形鳳梨酥。早年的鳳梨纖維粗,嘗起來偏酸,因此加入冬瓜醬來平衡風味,這是因為冬瓜價格低,容易買到,口感還綿密細緻,但隨著鳳梨品種改良,培育出酸度低、纖維細的鳳梨,純鳳梨餡的鳳梨酥也隨之誕生。
cornucopia (n.) 聚寶盆;豐盛
fibers (n.) 纖維
acidic (n.) 酸的
Pineapple cakes have a crust made from low-gluten flour and butter, which is wrapped around condensed pineapple jam. The outer layer is crumbly, while the sweet filling has a fruity aroma. Pineapple cakes are often paired with tea, and many pineapple cake shops offer free samples of their cakes and hot tea for their customers to savor. One good option to pair with these cakes is the world-renowned oolong tea, which is half-fermented, providing an elegant aroma and a clear and bright tea liquor. The sweetness of the pineapple cakes and the fragrance of oolong tea complement each other, creating a wonderful taste.
鳳梨酥外皮用低筋麵粉和奶油,裡頭包裹著鳳梨醬。外皮一咬即碎,甜甜的內餡帶有果香。不少台灣人在吃鳳梨酥時會喝茶,平衡鳳梨酥的甜膩。許多鳳梨酥店在提供試吃時也會提供熱茶,如台灣知名的烏龍茶,茶香馥郁,茶湯清澈,與鳳梨酥兩相搭配,風味絕佳。
crust (n.) 餅皮
tea liquor (n. phr.) 茶湯
文章由書林出版公司提供:
www.bookman.com.tw
Taiwan is hot in the summer, and a popular way to beat the heat is by eating shaved ice, with traditional toppings including adzuki beans, mung beans, tapioca pearls, taro balls and mesona jelly. However, mango shaved ice has in recent years become a favorite among Taiwanese people. Different from classic versions, mango shaved ice features juicy mango chunks on top of the ice, drenched in syrup and condensed milk, and crowned with a scoop of mango or vanilla ice cream. Some shops even add slices of pickled green mango for a sweet and sour taste. 台灣夏季炎熱,吃刨冰即是大家抵擋酷暑的好方法。刨冰經典配料有紅豆、綠豆、粉圓、芋圓、仙草等,但除了傳統刨冰,近年來台灣人也愛吃芒果刨冰。不同於傳統配料,刨冰上放上芒果,淋上糖水和煉乳,頂部再放上一球芒果或香草冰淇淋,有些店家還會放酸酸甜甜的芒果青。 taro ball (n. phr.)
During a visit to Australia last week, Chinese Premier Li Qiang made a classic goodwill gesture that boded well for relations between the two countries: he offered to send pandas. The offer comes as ties between Australia and its largest trading partner improve after a diplomatic dispute that lead to China imposing a raft of restrictions on Australian agricultural and mineral exports in 2020. Native to China, pandas have through the years become “envoys of friendship,” earning China’s outreach to countries it gifts the animals to the name of panda diplomacy. They have also been used to show Chinese anger. WHEN DID PANDA DIPLOMACY
South Korea finds itself at a crossroads. The country is struggling with a demographic issue characterized by a rising number of unmarried individuals and an aging population. The situation has been highlighted by the actions of Eun Seo-Ran, a 43-year-old South Korean woman who recently drew societal attention by adopting her 38-year-old single friend, Lee Eo-Rie, forging an unconventional family unit. While this phenomenon is not at all common in South Korea, the winds of change may be starting to blow. In Korean society, strict gender roles and a patriarchal culture have long been prevalent. After marriage, women are often expected
A: The 35th Golden Melody Awards ceremony will take place at the Taipei Arena on Saturday. B: Who are this year’s nominees for Best Male Singer? A: The nominees are Xu Jun, JJ Lin, Marz23, MC HotDog and Jude Chiu. B: How about the nominees for Best Female Singer? A: The nominees are Faith Yang, Shi Shi, 9m88, Su Yunying and Tia Ray. A: 第35屆金曲獎本週六即將在台北小巨蛋登場! B: 今年入圍最佳男歌手的有誰啊? A: 入圍的有:許鈞、林俊傑、Marz23、熱狗、裘德。 B: 最佳女歌手呢? A: 入圍的有:楊乃文、孫盛希、9m88、蘇運瑩、袁婭維。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)