VOA慢速英語：泰國美味甜品的歷史

The Chao PhrayaRiver is an important part of daily life in Thailand. The Chao Phraya flows through Bangkok on its way to the Gulf of Thailand. Years ago, many immigrants from Portugal and China set up homes along the river in what is now the Thai capital. Their lives soon changed in their new country. But one sweet food they enjoyed has remained much the same over the years.

在泰國，湄南河是日常生活中的一個(gè)重要組成部分。湄南河注入泰國灣，流經(jīng)曼谷。幾年前，來自葡萄牙和中國的許多移民沿著河岸定居在這里，現(xiàn)在是泰國的首都。在新的國家，他們的生活很快發(fā)生改變。但他們喜歡一種甜品，這一點(diǎn)多年來從未改變。

The Santa CruzChurch has been a well-known building in Bangkok for hundreds of years. Nearby, in the narrow streets behind the building, you can still find khanom farang kutii jiin. In Thai, that means the "foreigners' snack of the Chinese church."

數(shù)百年來，圣克魯斯教堂一直是曼谷著名的建筑。在其附近，這座教堂后面的一條狹窄街道上，你仍然可以找到khanom farang kutii jiin。在泰國，它的意思是中國教堂的外國小吃。

Khanom farang kutii jiin being made at the Thanusingha Bakery. (Zinlat Aung for VOA News)

The way to make thelittle Portuguese dry cakes is simple. They contain duck eggs, sugar, wheat flour, raisins, and are covered with syrup and persimmon.

制作葡萄牙干點(diǎn)心的方法很簡單。它們所用材料包括鴨蛋、糖、面粉、葡萄干，并且在上面刷上糖漿，鋪上柿子丁。

Cooking the popular treats is not easy. The equipment used at the Thanusingha Bakery is a trade secret.

烹飪流行的美味是不易的。Thanusingha面包店使用的烘培設(shè)備是商業(yè)機(jī)密。

But at the competing Larn Mae Pao bakery, there is no secret. Everything is out in the open. The muffins are baked on small stones. They are heated by gas from below and coal above.

但在具有競爭力的Larn Mae Pao面包店，不存在商業(yè)機(jī)密。一切都是公開的。松餅是在小石頭上烘烤，下面由天然氣進(jìn)行加熱，上面是煤。

This Thai woman says, "What makes kanom farang kutii jiin special is that it is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. But we never make them too crispy."

這名泰國女子表示kanom farang kutii的特色在于它外表酥脆、內(nèi)心暄軟。但我們也從不會(huì)使它們過于酥脆。

Kanom farang kutii jiin is also made without baking powder, yeast, or other additives. People say it really tastes like it did centuries ago.

Kanom farang kutii jiin的制作不摻雜發(fā)酵粉、酵母或其他添加劑。人們說它吃起來就像幾個(gè)世紀(jì)前做的那樣。

The owner of the bakery says, "If someone from the 16th century tried these, they would say they're similar to those of that time. Some Portuguese who have traveled here say they do taste like what their parents and grandparents made."

面包店的老板表示：“如果有生活在16世紀(jì)的人來嘗試這些甜品，他們會(huì)說味道和那個(gè)時(shí)候的一樣。來這兒旅行過的葡萄牙人說：它們嘗起來確實(shí)像他們的父輩或祖輩做的那樣。”

The sweet little food of the Portuguese Catholic settlers is still making people happy.

葡萄牙天主教居民的小甜品仍然讓人們心情愉悅。。

This man says, "It's my first time having this. I will come back!"

這名男子說，“這是我第一次吃這個(gè)，我一定會(huì)再回來！”

The bakers of Bangkokhope people will enjoy their tasty treat for many years to come. It remains a link to the Portuguese soldiers, businessmen, and religious workers who first traveled to the Kingdom of Siam 500 years ago.

在未來，曼谷的面包師們希望大家會(huì)喜歡他們的美味的食物。它仍然是那些第一次前往暹羅王國（現(xiàn)在的泰國）的葡萄牙士兵、商人之間的一種聯(lián)系。

I'm Jonathan Evans.

VOA correspondent Steve Herman reported this story from Bangkok. Jim Tedder adapted this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

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Words in This Story

church– n. a Christian religious center

snack– n. a treat; a small piece of food eaten between meals

cakes– n. a sweet food that is normally cooked with dry heat

crispy – adj. having a firm, dry surface, but one that can break easily