关于中国食物和饮食的7个常见误解（上）
7 COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT CHINESE FOOD AND EATING
译文简介
说到吃中国菜，有很多刻板的说法。
正文翻译
Living in Singapore, Malaysia and Australia, I’ve had my fair share of Chinese cuisine. At least once a week I eat Chinese food. What I’ve noticed is that Chinese dishes aren’t the same everywhere.
我曾居住在新加坡、马来西亚和澳大利亚，吃过很多中国菜。我每周至少吃一次中国菜。我注意到的是，中国菜在各地都不一样。
In Australia, Chinese dishes at restaurants are often Westernised to suit Western tastebuds and prepared differently from food served in China. Arguably Chinese cuisine in Australia is not authentic.
在澳大利亚，餐馆里的中国菜通常是西化的，以迎合西方人的口味，而且制作方式也与中国不同。可以说，中国菜在澳大利亚并不正宗。
在澳大利亚，餐馆里的中国菜通常是西化的，以迎合西方人的口味，而且制作方式也与中国不同。可以说，中国菜在澳大利亚并不正宗。
This is probably how interesting myths about Chinese food came about. Here are some myths about Chinese food that you shouldn’t believe.
这可能就是关于中国食物的有趣说法的由来。以下是一些你不应该相信的关于中国食物的说法。
这可能就是关于中国食物的有趣说法的由来。以下是一些你不应该相信的关于中国食物的说法。
1. Chinese dishes come from one place
1. 中国菜都来自同一个地方
With more than 1.35 billion people in China, there’s the misconception all Chinese food originates from one area. In fact Chinese food is prepared differently all across China – different regions differ in availability of ingredients and cooking styles.
中国的人口超过13.5亿，而人们却有这样的误解:所有的中餐都起源于一个地区。事实上，中国各地的烹饪方式都不一样——不同地区的食材和烹饪方式也不一样。
中国的人口超过13.5亿，而人们却有这样的误解:所有的中餐都起源于一个地区。事实上，中国各地的烹饪方式都不一样——不同地区的食材和烹饪方式也不一样。
Cantonese cuisine tends to be non-greasy, light and sweet. Sichuan dishes and Hunan cuisine are on the savoury and spicy side. Shanghai cuisine is often pickled with wine and tastes sweet and sour. Shanxi cuisine is on the sour side and produces aged vinegar.
粤菜一般不油腻，清淡微甜。川菜和湘菜是咸辣兼备的。上海菜常加酒来入味，尝起来酸甜可口。山西盛产陈醋，菜喜酸。
粤菜一般不油腻，清淡微甜。川菜和湘菜是咸辣兼备的。上海菜常加酒来入味，尝起来酸甜可口。山西盛产陈醋，菜喜酸。
in China, the northern ones are cooler and produce more noodles. Southern provinces closer to the ocean produce more rice and seafood dishes.Hong Kong is arguably the home of dim sum. Originally hailing from Hainan in China, Hainanese chicken rice has been adapted and regarded as one of Singapore’s national Chinese dishes.
中国的北方省份比较凉爽，人们更喜欢吃面条，靠近海洋的南部省份的人们更喜欢吃米饭和海鲜。香港可以说是点心的发源地。海南鸡饭源于中国的海南，经过改良后被视为新加坡的国菜之一。
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中国的北方省份比较凉爽，人们更喜欢吃面条，靠近海洋的南部省份的人们更喜欢吃米饭和海鲜。香港可以说是点心的发源地。海南鸡饭源于中国的海南，经过改良后被视为新加坡的国菜之一。
原创翻译：龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
More than once I went to a Chinese restaurant in Melbourne and ordered stir-fried Hokkien noodles. The dish came with carrots and tasted sweet – which is never the case in Malaysia. Also dumplings I’ve eaten in Australia taste good but most of the time the dumpling wrappers are thicker and coarser than in South-East Asia.
我不止一次去墨尔本的一家中餐馆点了福建炒面。这道菜配有胡萝卜，吃起来很甜，而这在马来西亚是不可能的。另外，我在澳大利亚吃过的饺子味道很好，但大多数时候，饺子的皮比东南亚地区的更厚更粗糙。
我不止一次去墨尔本的一家中餐馆点了福建炒面。这道菜配有胡萝卜，吃起来很甜，而这在马来西亚是不可能的。另外，我在澳大利亚吃过的饺子味道很好，但大多数时候，饺子的皮比东南亚地区的更厚更粗糙。
2. Everything MSG
所有的菜都放一堆调味料
所有的菜都放一堆调味料
Popular Chinese dishes include: sweet and sour pork, battered lemon chicken and black pepper chicken.
受欢迎的中国菜包括:糖醋里脊、柠檬鸡和黑胡椒鸡。
受欢迎的中国菜包括:糖醋里脊、柠檬鸡和黑胡椒鸡。
In reality not all Chinese dishes are battered, crispy and saucy. In reality many Chinese dishes are prepared with the minimal MSG, minimal sodium.
事实上，并不是所有的中国菜都是重口味的。事实上，许多中国菜都只放很少的味精和很少的盐。
事实上，并不是所有的中国菜都是重口味的。事实上，许多中国菜都只放很少的味精和很少的盐。
Garlic stir-fried Chinese broccoli, soy sauce steamed garoupa and steamed ginger chicken were dishes that my mum prepared each week. These dishes might sound plain but they are perfect for healthy options and quick meals.
我妈妈每周都会做蒜炒花菜、酱油鸭和姜汁鸡。这些菜听起来可能很普通，但它们是健康快餐的完美选择。
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我妈妈每周都会做蒜炒花菜、酱油鸭和姜汁鸡。这些菜听起来可能很普通，但它们是健康快餐的完美选择。
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3. All spicy dishes
3.所有的菜都是辣的
3.所有的菜都是辣的
All spice and everything hot and nice is not every Chinese dish. There are classic spicy Chinese dishes such as kung pao chicken and ma po tofu. Then there are also classic non-spicy dishes such as egg fried rice and Peking duck.
并非所有的好吃的中国菜都是辣的。中国有经典的辣菜，比如宫保鸡丁和麻婆豆腐。还有经典的不辣菜肴，如蛋炒饭和北京烤鸭。
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并非所有的好吃的中国菜都是辣的。中国有经典的辣菜，比如宫保鸡丁和麻婆豆腐。还有经典的不辣菜肴，如蛋炒饭和北京烤鸭。
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The latter dishes were some of my favourite dishes growing up and don’t just taste just hot, hot and more hot.
后一道菜是我从小到大最喜欢的菜，它不是那种只有辣辣辣的菜。
后一道菜是我从小到大最喜欢的菜，它不是那种只有辣辣辣的菜。
There’s also the myth that many Chinese handle spicy food well. There’s currently no conclusive study proving this or showing which racial groups are less sensitive to capsaicin (TRPV1) receptors.
还有一个说法是，很多中国人都很擅长吃辣的食物。目前还没有结论性的研究来证明这一点，也没有表明哪个种族对辣椒素不那么敏感。
还有一个说法是，很多中国人都很擅长吃辣的食物。目前还没有结论性的研究来证明这一点，也没有表明哪个种族对辣椒素不那么敏感。
Handling spicy is not up my alley. When I eat a bowl of spicy noodles, a mouthful of water is needed to calm my tongue down after every bite. Many spicy dishes in Australia are nowhere as spicy in Asia and even these dishes I find spicy.
吃辣的食物不是我的专长。当我吃一碗辣面时，每吃一口都需要喝一口水让舌头缓一缓。澳大利亚的很多辣菜在亚洲都算不上辣，但即便是这些菜我都觉得很辣。
吃辣的食物不是我的专长。当我吃一碗辣面时，每吃一口都需要喝一口水让舌头缓一缓。澳大利亚的很多辣菜在亚洲都算不上辣，但即便是这些菜我都觉得很辣。
4. All about rice and noodles
4.所有的菜都涉及到米饭和面条
4.所有的菜都涉及到米饭和面条
Rice is a staple in Chinese cuisine. Some of my Chinese friends say they ‘don’t feel right’ if they don’t eat rice or noodles for a few days.
米饭是中国人的主食。我的一些中国朋友说，如果几天不吃米饭或面条，他们会“感觉不舒服”。
米饭是中国人的主食。我的一些中国朋友说，如果几天不吃米饭或面条，他们会“感觉不舒服”。
However rice and noodles are taking a backseat as hybrid Chinese cuisine is becoming more popular today. Think Korean Chinese and Indian Chinese hybrid dishes. These Asian fusion dishes are often standalone dishes and aren’t served with rice or noodles.
然而，随着融合式中餐越来越受欢迎，米饭和面条已经退居二线。想想韩国、中国和印度的融合菜吧。这些亚洲融合菜通常是单独的菜肴，不与米饭或面条一起供应。
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然而，随着融合式中餐越来越受欢迎，米饭和面条已经退居二线。想想韩国、中国和印度的融合菜吧。这些亚洲融合菜通常是单独的菜肴，不与米饭或面条一起供应。
原创翻译：龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
Up until my university days I ate rice practically every night up. These days I don’t eat rice very much. I’ve gone weeks without eating rice and felt normal.
直到我上大学的时候，我几乎每天晚上都吃米饭。而这些天我不怎么吃米饭。我已经几周没吃米饭了，现在感觉一切正常。
直到我上大学的时候，我几乎每天晚上都吃米饭。而这些天我不怎么吃米饭。我已经几周没吃米饭了，现在感觉一切正常。
5. Chinese people eat everything
5. 中国人什么都吃
5. 中国人什么都吃
In recent times not everyone in China eats dog, cat and monkey brains. Not every living organism is seen as source of sustenance here.
不是每个中国人都吃狗、猫和猴脑。在中国，并不是每一个生物都被看作是食物的来源。
不是每个中国人都吃狗、猫和猴脑。在中国，并不是每一个生物都被看作是食物的来源。
There are more and more vocal campaigns against the annual Yulin Meat Festival where thousands of dogs are consumed. China also has an increasing number of families that own pets.
一年一度的玉林狗肉节吃掉了成千上万只狗，而反对狗肉节的呼声也越来越高。中国也有越来越多的家庭拥有宠物。
一年一度的玉林狗肉节吃掉了成千上万只狗，而反对狗肉节的呼声也越来越高。中国也有越来越多的家庭拥有宠物。
Eating dog or cat never appealed to me. I have eaten kangaroo a few times. The first time I ate it was at a Chinese restaurant in Singapore. The kangaroo meat was served in a hot clay pot along with vegetables and tasted similar to beef.
我从来不喜欢吃狗或猫。我吃过几次袋鼠肉。我第一次吃它是在新加坡的一家中餐馆。袋鼠肉和蔬菜一起放在热陶罐里，尝起来像牛肉。
我从来不喜欢吃狗或猫。我吃过几次袋鼠肉。我第一次吃它是在新加坡的一家中餐馆。袋鼠肉和蔬菜一起放在热陶罐里，尝起来像牛肉。
6. Fortune cookies and takeout boxes were invented in China
幸运饼干和外卖盒是在中国发明的
幸运饼干和外卖盒是在中国发明的
Legend has it the fortune cookie was founded in Los Angeles in 1918: Chinese immigrant David Jung passed out cookies containing Biblical strips to the homeless. Another legend has it that a Japanese immigrant founded the fortune cookie in San Francisco, passing out cookies with thank you notes inside to friends as a mark of appreciation.
据说幸运饼干于1918年在洛杉矶诞生:中国移民David Jung向无家可归的人分发内含圣经纸条的饼干。另一个说法是，一位日本移民在旧金山发明了幸运饼干，向朋友分发内含感谢字条的饼干，以表示感谢。
据说幸运饼干于1918年在洛杉矶诞生:中国移民David Jung向无家可归的人分发内含圣经纸条的饼干。另一个说法是，一位日本移民在旧金山发明了幸运饼干，向朋友分发内含感谢字条的饼干，以表示感谢。
Similarly, the cardboard Chinese-takeout container is an American invention. Also known as an oyster pail, it was patented by Chicago inventor Frederick Weeks Wilcox. Initially designed to hold oysters, these durable, inexpensive and convenient origami-like boxes were adopted by America’s Chinese food industry as takeaway boxes.
同样，硬纸板外卖盒也是美国人发明的。它也被称为牡蛎桶，由芝加哥发明家弗雷德里克..威克斯.威尔科克斯申请了专利。最初的设计是为了装牡蛎，这些耐用、便宜、方便的折纸盒为美国的中餐行业所采纳，被当做了外卖盒。
同样，硬纸板外卖盒也是美国人发明的。它也被称为牡蛎桶，由芝加哥发明家弗雷德里克..威克斯.威尔科克斯申请了专利。最初的设计是为了装牡蛎，这些耐用、便宜、方便的折纸盒为美国的中餐行业所采纳，被当做了外卖盒。
Whenever I ordered Chinese take-away in Singapore and Malaysia, my food came wrapped in brown grease paper or packed in white styrofoam containers, with sauces and soups bagged in plastic bags.
每当我在新加坡和马来西亚点中餐外卖时，我的食物都是用棕色油纸或白色泡沫塑料包装的，还有用塑料袋包装的酱汁和汤。
每当我在新加坡和马来西亚点中餐外卖时，我的食物都是用棕色油纸或白色泡沫塑料包装的，还有用塑料袋包装的酱汁和汤。
7. Dirty restaurants
7. 肮脏的餐厅
7. 肮脏的餐厅
There is some truth to the myth that eating Chinese isn’t the most hygienic experience. In South-East Asia, hawker stalls are commonly set up right beside congested roads. Food is cooked beside these road and patrons dine on the curb.
吃中餐并不是最卫生的体验，这个说法有一定的道理。在东南亚，小贩摊位通常设置在拥挤的道路旁边。食物在路边烹饪，顾客们也在路边用餐。
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吃中餐并不是最卫生的体验，这个说法有一定的道理。在东南亚，小贩摊位通常设置在拥挤的道路旁边。食物在路边烹饪，顾客们也在路边用餐。
原创翻译：龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
In air-conditioned shopping malls in Asia and Australia, there are many clean and sanitary Chinese restaurants. More Chinese franchises are setting up in Australia.
而在亚洲和澳大利亚带空调的购物中心中，有很多干净卫生的中餐馆。越来越多的中国连锁中餐店也在澳大利亚开业。
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而在亚洲和澳大利亚带空调的购物中心中，有很多干净卫生的中餐馆。越来越多的中国连锁中餐店也在澳大利亚开业。
原创翻译：龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
* * *
Food and tastebuds evolve over time. Aside from westernised Chinese food in Australia, there’s also something called Chinese Australian cuisine. That’s food brought to Australia by Chinese immigrants and adapted into local cuisine.
食物和味蕾会随着时间变化。在澳大利亚，除了西化的中国菜之外，还有一种被称为中式澳大利亚菜的东西。这些食物是中国移民带到澳大利亚的，并被改成当地的美食。
Food and tastebuds evolve over time. Aside from westernised Chinese food in Australia, there’s also something called Chinese Australian cuisine. That’s food brought to Australia by Chinese immigrants and adapted into local cuisine.
食物和味蕾会随着时间变化。在澳大利亚，除了西化的中国菜之外，还有一种被称为中式澳大利亚菜的东西。这些食物是中国移民带到澳大利亚的，并被改成当地的美食。
I’ve never heard of the dim sim until I moved back to Melbourne. It’s not something served in Asia. Then there’s something called ‘Singapore noodles’ in Australia (and in the UK), a dish consisting of stir-fried rice noodles and vegetables. In Singapore, there’s no such thing as Singapore noodles and I was so surprised to discover it in Australia.
在我搬回墨尔本之前，我从未听说过中式点心。这不是亚洲的食物。在澳大利亚(和英国)还有一种叫做“新加坡面”的食物，是由炒米粉和蔬菜组成的。在新加坡，没有新加坡面这种东西，当我在澳大利亚发现它时，我很惊讶。
在我搬回墨尔本之前，我从未听说过中式点心。这不是亚洲的食物。在澳大利亚(和英国)还有一种叫做“新加坡面”的食物，是由炒米粉和蔬菜组成的。在新加坡，没有新加坡面这种东西，当我在澳大利亚发现它时，我很惊讶。
Too much of anything can be bad for you and that includes Chinese food. In general, many of Asian background are slimmer than Westerners – which leads to the myth that Chinese cuisine is a healthy cuisine. This isn’t always the case. There’s greasy fried rice, oily chilli-oil dumplings and fatty sweet and sour pork.
任何东西吃得太多都可能对你有害，这也包括中国食物。一般来说，很多亚洲人都比西方人苗条——这导致了中国菜是健康菜的这种说法。但情况并非总是如此，尤其是油腻的炒饭、蘸辣椒油吃的饺子和油腻的糖醋里脊。
任何东西吃得太多都可能对你有害，这也包括中国食物。一般来说，很多亚洲人都比西方人苗条——这导致了中国菜是健康菜的这种说法。但情况并非总是如此，尤其是油腻的炒饭、蘸辣椒油吃的饺子和油腻的糖醋里脊。
In addition, serving sizes of Chinese dishes are much bigger in the Western world. While I can easily finish a serving of fried rice in Singapore, I’ve never finished a serving here in Australia. One plate of a Chinese dish in Australia is double what you get in Asia, and probably double the amount of calories consumed if you eat the entire dish.
此外，中国菜的份量在西方国家要大得多。虽然我在新加坡可以轻松吃完一份炒饭，但在澳大利亚我从来没有吃完一份炒饭。在澳大利亚，一盘中国菜的份量是你在亚洲吃的两倍，如果你吃完一整盘的话，可能会摄入两倍的卡路里。
此外，中国菜的份量在西方国家要大得多。虽然我在新加坡可以轻松吃完一份炒饭，但在澳大利亚我从来没有吃完一份炒饭。在澳大利亚，一盘中国菜的份量是你在亚洲吃的两倍，如果你吃完一整盘的话，可能会摄入两倍的卡路里。
What do you know about Chinese food?
你对中国菜了解多少?
你对中国菜了解多少?
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I’ve never had any type of house cat but I have had lynx before. Of course, that was part of an outdoor survival study I did in school.
我从来没有养过家猫，但我以前养过山猫。当然，这是我在学校做的户外生存研究的一部分。
That must have been an interesting outdoor survival experience in school. Toughing it out in nature and eating what comes your way.
在学校做的户外生存研究一定很有趣。在大自然中坚持下去，吃你想吃的东西。
Ohhh, such a juicy topic to discuss, it reminds me of the time I took a module in university on sociology of food. A very interesting module that ties it to society, etc. I would say that food is universal but from my experience, it is usually adapted to suit the palate of the people. There were times when I had Asian food overseas and realised that it was not the same as the ones I’ve had so far. And I’m glad you brought up Singapore noodles because I was honestly quite surprised to know of it when I first encountered it in UK. I even found the noodles being sold in supermarkets in New Zealand and I had no idea the noodles were any different from any others..haha
这是一个非常有趣的话题，让我想起了我在大学里上的一个关于食物社会学的课程。一个非常有趣的课程，可以将它与社会联系起来。我想说的是，食物是普遍存在的，但从我的经验来看，它通常是适应人们的口味的。有几次当我在海外吃到亚洲菜时，我意识到它和我迄今为止吃过的不一样。我很高兴你提到了新加坡面条，因为说实话，当我第一次在英国遇到新加坡面条时，我非常惊讶。我甚至发现新西兰超市里有卖这种面条，我不知道这种面条和其他面条有什么不同。哈哈
That module on sociology on food must have been interesting! food is universal but it’s usually adapted. We all need food but we all eat and experience it differently. Haha! Singapore noodles is such an interesting creation. Wonder who and how it got created it in the first place.
那个关于食物社会学的课程一定很有趣!食物是普遍存在的，但通常是适应人的口味的。我们都需要食物，但我们吃的和经历过的都不一样。哈哈!新加坡面条是一个非常有趣的发明。不知道最初是谁发明出来的，怎么发明出来的。
I’m most curious about the Singapore noodles too! Hahaha…it must be a singaporean, I imagine…haha
我也很好奇新加坡面条!哈哈，肯定是新加坡人发明的，我猜…哈哈
Someone else mentioned that Singapore noodles originated in Hong Kong
另一个人说新加坡面条起源于香港
原创翻译：龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
My taste buds are tingling Mabel, what a well written and thought out post. And I agree not all Chinese food is the same. And I do have my own favourite restaurants here in my locality having tried a few and some not as good as others.
I have to agree with you about spice, I am not a hot spice person either and although I am experimenting more using chilli powder or flakes, I always put much less than any recipe suggests.
I remember on a holiday in Canada, we were taken by our guide through China Town. I loved the markets and seeing the various different things which were obviously used on a regular basis by them. I saw vegetables I have never seen since. And couldn’t tell you what they were. But the smells from the kitchens and food outlets there were very tempting, although our time schedule didn’t allow us to stop to eat.
I also agree too much of anything is not always good for you.
Love the pictures you have included they all look delicious .
Have a beautiful week Mabel from a snowbound UK.
我被你勾起了食欲，梅布尔，多么好的一篇文章啊。我同意不是所有的中国菜都是一样的。我在我居住的地方有我自己最喜欢的餐厅，我尝试了一些，但有些不如其他的好。
我同意你对调味料的看法，我也不是一个喜欢吃辣的人，虽然我尝试更多地使用辣椒粉或辣椒片，但我总是比任何食谱建议的少放得多。
我记得在加拿大度假时，我们被导游带着穿过唐人街。我喜欢那些市场，可以看到各种各样的东西，很明显他们经常使用这些东西。我看到了之后再没见过的蔬菜，我无法告诉你它们是什么。虽然我们的时间安排不允许我们停下来吃东西，但那里的厨房和食品店散发出的气味非常诱人。
我也同意吃太多的东西并不总是对你有好处。
我喜欢你的照片，它们看起来都很好吃。
祝你一周过得愉快，梅布尔，来自大雪纷飞的英国的祝福。
We all sure have our favourites, Sue. Glad you have your favourites and you can always keep going back to them
There are a lot of veggies in Chinese cuisine and markets! Maybe one day you will get to try them all But I daresay maybe the veggies in your garden are equally delicious.
Thank you for your kind words on my photos. Food photography is not my forte, but it was fun taking these photos. Wishing you warm weather your way
我们都有自己喜欢的食物，苏。很高兴你有你最喜欢的食物，你可以随时再去吃它们。
中国菜和菜市场里有很多蔬菜!也许有一天你会都尝一尝，但我敢说也许你的菜园子里也有一样好吃的蔬菜。
谢谢你称赞我拍的照片。拍摄食物不是我的强项，但拍这些照片很有趣。祝你们的天气一路转暖。
Your photos were very good Mabel, and yes we had some purple sprouting broccoli out of our garden which was picked before the snow came . And thank you for your warm well wishes, The UK needs warming up right now LOL.. Take care my friend
你的照片拍得很好，梅布尔，是的，我们的菜园子里有一些紫色的花椰菜，是在下雪之前摘的。谢谢你的祝福，英国现在需要转暖了，哈哈…保重我的朋友
原创翻译：龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
Purple broccoli! Hope there is still enough now because it sounds every bit delicious You are entitled to make yourself a hot cup of hot chocolate to warm up, Sue. You take care too my friend
紫色的花椰菜!希望你现在还有足够的巧克力，因为它们合在一起听起来非常美味。你需要给自己冲一杯热巧克力来暖和一下，苏。你也保重我的朋友
I loved your photos, Mabel. My dad was from Indonesia and loved Chinese and Malay food. Family eating-out treats were usually to a Chinese restaurant, and to this day, it’s my favourite. The phrase ‘sweet and sour’ gets my mouth watering every time.
我喜欢你的照片，梅布尔。我的父亲来自印度尼西亚，他喜欢中国菜和马来西亚菜。我家外出就餐通常是去中餐馆，直到今天，它还是我的最爱。“酸甜”这个词每次都让我流口水。
Chinese restaurant treats. You were very lucky with family eating out. Hopefully you can continue that
中餐馆的食物。你很幸运可以和家人在外面吃饭。希望你们能继续去吃。
This is a great post, Mabel – and one that gives us plenty of food for thought. I studied/lived in the UK for about 4 years and found it mildly fascinating that the most common form of Chinese food there was a sort of Cantonese style cooking that had been modified to suit British taste buds. One thing I noticed there, particularly at takeaway stores, was the prence of dishes whose names contained the phrase “Hong Kong style”. I’d never heard of that growing up in Hong Kong, and I think it was a Cantonese-speaking vendor who explained that it simply meant something served with extra sauce!
I can tell you where the name “Singapore noodles” came from. It apparently originated in the casual diners/street stalls of Hong Kong, and was then exported to Australia, the UK, and elsewhere as people emigrated. What makes Singapore noodles different from other Cantonese-style noodles is the use of curry powder, and whoever invented it wanted a name that was vaguely exotic and evocative of Southeast or South Asia. So Singapore made sense. The best plate of Singapore noodles I’ve ever had was at an open-air restaurant by a secluded beach in Hong Kong which was the perfect reward after a two-hour hike
Speaking of Chinese fusion, the most unusual meal I had of that kind was in Sydney last year. My best friend and I went to Kylie Kwong’s restaurant for dinner one night and we were blown away by the innovation and the flavors of each dish – which melded Chinese cooking techniques with quintessentially Australian ingredients. Two of our favorites were the red-braised wallaby tail. Then there was a steamed meat bun whose filling had been seasoned with honey sourced from rooftop beehives at the community center across the street – that was really interesting because the honey had a kind of gamey, tangy flavor I hadn’t expected.
这是一篇很棒的文章，梅布尔——它带给了我们很多值得思考的东西。我在英国学习/生活了大约4年，发现最常见的中国食物是一种经过改良以适应英国人味蕾的粤菜，这有点令人着迷。我注意到一件事，尤其是在外卖店里，那里流行的菜名都带有“港式”字样。我在香港长大，但从来没听说过这些，一个讲广东话的小贩解释说，它只是指加酱的东西!
我可以告诉你“新加坡面条”这个名字的由来。它显然起源于香港的普通小餐馆或街边小摊，然后随着人们的移民传播到了澳大利亚、英国和其他地方。新加坡面条与其他粤式面条的不同之处在于它使用了咖喱粉，发明它的人想要一个略带异国情调、能让人想起东南亚或南亚的名字。所以新加坡是有意义的。我吃过的最好的一盘新加坡面条是在香港一个僻静海滩旁的露天餐厅，这是远足两小时后的完美回报。
说到中国菜，我去年在悉尼吃过最不寻常的一餐。一天晚上，我和我最好的朋友去Kylie Kwong的餐厅吃饭，我们被每一道菜的创新和味道所震撼——它融合了中国烹饪技术和典型的澳大利亚食材。我们最喜欢的两道菜是红烧袋鼠尾巴，嫩得几乎连骨头都要掉下来了;还有一个是肉馅小笼包，里面放了从街对面社区中心屋顶的蜂箱里采来的蜂蜜。这真的很有趣，因为蜂蜜有一种我没有想到的浓郁的味道。
I really enjoyed reading this comment, James. It is so interesting to hear about food in the UK. Maybe there is a large Cantonese-speaking community or Hong Kong immigrants where you lived and travelled in the UK. Cantonese style food also is probably one of the easiest Chinese cuisines to prepare given that these dishes use minimal ingredients and seemingly appeal to a wide range of tatsebuds. Extra sauce is always nice if you want more flavour!
Thank you so much for sharing where Singapore noodles came from. Would have never have guessed it originated from Hong Kong. The Singapore noodles I have tried have always been spicy – and it is probably because of the curry powder that you mentioned, which I never knew was an ingredient in this dish. Sounded like you and Bama did enjoy the Singaopre noodles by the beach, and it looked like a well-balanced dish with plenty of veggies.
Every time I hear Kylie Kwong’s name I can’t help but wonder if we are related, lol. Not to my knowledge. Melding of Chinese and Australian cuisine is certainly catching on here, and hybrid, fusion cuisine is becoming more and more popular here. Most of it are high class, five star eats so for many average Australians eating what you and Bama ate would be a rare treat Such vivid descxtions of how the wallaby and meat bun tasted. You must have really savoured the food you ate in Australia
我真的很喜欢读这个评论，詹姆斯。听你说英国的食物真是太有趣了。也许你在英国生活和旅行的地方有很多讲广东话的社区或香港移民。粤菜也可能是最简单的中国菜之一，因为这些菜只需要很少的食材，而且似乎吸引了各种各样的美食爱好者。如果你想要更多的味道，额外的酱汁总是不错的!
非常感谢你分享新加坡面条是从何而来的。我从来没有想到它起源于香港。我吃过的新加坡面条一直都很辣——这可能是因为你提到的咖喱粉，我从来不知道这道菜里有咖喱粉。听起来你确实很喜欢海滩边的新加坡面条，它听起来很均衡，有很多蔬菜。
每次我听到Kylie Kwong的名字，我就忍不住想我们是不是亲戚，哈哈，据我所知不是。中国和澳大利亚的美食融合在这里很流行，混合的，融合的美食在这里越来越受到欢迎。大多数都是高级的，五星级的食物，所以对许多普通的澳大利亚人来说，你吃的是一种罕见的享受，你如此生动的描述了红烧袋鼠尾巴和肉包的味道。你一定很享受你在澳大利亚吃的食物
Ah yes, I never had a bad meal while in Australia. I can say that the dinner at Kylie Kwong’s restaurant really put a dent in our wallets; it was the most expensive meal of the trip, and we tried to lower our costs the next day by eating street food and going to Woolies! The meals we had in Melbourne were thankfully a lot more reasonably priced.
是的，我在澳大利亚从来没有吃过糟糕的食物。我可以说，在Kylie Kwong餐厅的晚餐确实让我们的荷包大幅缩水;这是这次旅行中最昂贵的一餐，为了降低成本，我们第二天就开始吃街头小吃了，还去了Woolies餐厅!谢天谢地，我们在墨尔本吃的饭价格更合理。
It sounds like you always have good luck with good food Ah, you also know Woolies…that’s where all Australians shop. Melbourne is definitely much cheaper and affordable than Sydney. So if you ever want to visit again, maybe come to Melbourne
听起来你总是有好运气买到好吃的食物啊，你还知道Woolies，那是所有澳大利亚人买食物的地方。墨尔本绝对比悉尼便宜得多。所以如果你还想来澳大利亚，可以来墨尔本。
This reminds me of an article I read a few days ago written by a Beijing-based correspondent for an Australian news outlet who described the Chinese food she ate in Australia as not Chinese enough. On one hand you have this one-sided understanding of what constitutes an authentic Chinese cuisine. On the other hand, in Indonesia so many dishes we eat every day are basically Peranakan, invented by Chinese immigrants who brought their traditional recipes and cooking technique, and combined them with local ingredients they found in their new tropical home. These dishes have become part of our daily lives, so much so many people are not aware of these past Chinese connections, just like how most people think that chili and peanut are native to Indonesia.
Food is one of many cultural products, and together they are constantly changing, perfected, substituted, added and improvised. To think that there’s only one type of Chinese cuisine and anything that deviates from it is not authentic is rather ignorant. Glad you wrote this post to correct some misconceptions out there, Mabel.
这让我想起几天前我读到的一篇文章，是一位驻北京的澳大利亚新闻媒体记者写的，她说她在澳大利亚吃的中国菜不够中国味。一方面，你对正宗中国菜的理解是片面的。另一方面，在印尼，我们每天吃的很多菜基本上都是土生华人发明的，他们带来了他们的传统食谱和烹饪技术，并将它们与他们在新的热带家园发现的当地食材结合起来。这些菜已经成为我们日常生活的一部分，所以很多人都不知道这些菜与中国人的联系，就像大多数人认为辣椒和花生是印尼的特产一样。
食物是众多的文化之一，它们不断变化、完善，不断地被替代和即兴创新。认为中国菜只有一种类型，任何偏离它的东西都不是正宗的，这是相当无知的表现。梅布尔，很高兴你写了这篇文章来纠正一些错误的认识。
You raised such a great point there, Bama. What is authentic is a matter of perspective and it depends where we were raised and our experiences eating food. To me, a lot of Chinese food tastes different compared to that in Malaysia. But for many of my Asian friends who grew up here, the Chinese food in Australia comes across as authentic to them. I remember visiting Jakarta and Yogjakarta many years ago and was amazed by the various influences on the menu. I do think chilli and spicy are native to Indonesia because almost every single dish I ordered there was spicy.
‘they are constantly changing, perfected, substituted, added and improvised’ So well said and couldn’t agree more.
你提出了一个很好的观点，巴马。什么是正宗的是一个个人视角的问题，它取决于我们在哪里长大，以及我们吃东西的经历。对我来说，很多中国菜的味道和马来西亚菜不一样。但对于我在这里长大的许多亚洲朋友来说，澳大利亚的中国菜对他们来说是正宗的。我记得许多年前去雅加达时，我对菜单上各种各样的菜肴感到惊讶。我以为辣椒和辣是印尼特有的，因为我在那里点的几乎每一道菜都是辣的。
"它们不断变化、完善，不断地被替代和即兴创新。"说得很好，我完全同意。