The Kingdom of Belgium is world-renowned for its beers, chocolates, waffles and gothic cathedrals. Read on to find out more about the country which is home to the European Union and NATO and is sometimes referred to as the cockpit of Europe.
比利時王國以啤酒、巧克力、鬆餅與哥德式大教堂享譽全球。讓我們一起來發掘這個歐洲聯盟與北大西洋公約組織總部所在、有時更被冠上「歐洲戰場」的國家之更多風貌。
A closer look 說古論今
PHOTO: AP
The region which currently forms Belgium has been home to many famous artists from the Renaissance and Baroque periods. There is a gothic cathedral or church in every one of its major cities and towns. It is also famed for its examples of Romanesque, Renaissance and Baroque architecture. The inventor of the saxophone, Adolphe Sax also hails from Belgium. Another famous export is "The Adventures of TinTin," a cartoon which was first published in the French Language newspaper Le Vingtieme Siecle in 1929.
However what draws most tourists to Belgium is its beer. A quirk in its licensing laws forbade the selling of spirits in pubs until as recently as the 1980's. The result was lovingly crafted beers which have become world famous for their taste, fermentation methods and strength. Belgium boasts the largest locally-produced variety of beers in the world with over 500 regulars and another 500 one-offs. Each of these has its own special glass, selected carefully so that the shape brings out the best in taste and aromas. Especially famous are the Trappist beers which are brewed from scratch in one of only seven authorized monastaries.
No trip to Belgium would be complete without visiting a local cafe on a winding street, sitting at table on the pavement sipping on a local beer and perhaps indulging in the national dish of mussels or steak with French fries (which the Belgians lay claim to the invention of) and lettuce.
現今比利時境內的這個地區孕育了許多文藝復興與巴洛克時期的知名藝術家。每一個重要城市與鄉鎮都擁有一座哥德式大教堂。比利時也以羅馬式、文藝復興與巴洛克時期的建築典範聞名。發明薩克斯風的阿道夫.薩克斯也是比利時人。另一個風靡全球的外銷品是連環漫畫《丁丁歷險記》,它於一九二九年首度刊登在法文報紙《小二十世紀報》。
不過,最吸引遊客來到比利時的就是啤酒。早在一九八○年代以前,販酒法規竟然禁止酒吧販售烈酒。結果是,釀造精良的啤酒因其口感、發酵方式與濃度享譽國際。比利時以生產全球種類最繁多的國產啤酒自豪,有五百多種一般啤酒與五百多種特殊啤酒。每一種啤酒都有精心挑選的專屬杯子,如此一來,杯子形狀才能將啤酒的口感與風味發揮到淋漓盡致。其中,尤其以在全國僅有七家獲得釀酒牌照的修道院之一所釀造的「修道院啤酒」最聞名遐邇。
到比利時旅遊,若未造訪當地蜿蜒巷弄中的咖啡館、坐在路邊桌旁品嚐當地啤酒,或是來道貽貝或佐以薯條(比利時人宣稱是薯條始祖)與萵苣的牛排等當地菜餚,就不能說是盡興而歸了。 (翻譯︰賴美君)
A: Wow, three Taiwanese restaurants just won the 2024 “Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants” awards. B: Awesome! Which three restaurants? A: Taipei’s Logy at No. 22 and MUME at No. 34, and Taichung’s JL Studio at No. 33. B: Actually, there are many more great establishments in Taipei. How about other Asian cities? A: Singapore claimed nine spots this year, making it Asia’s new “food capital.” A: 2024「亞洲50最佳餐廳」名單揭曉了,台灣有3家餐廳上榜。 B: 好厲害,哪3家? A: 台北的Logy和MUME分獲第22和34名,台中的JL Studio獲第33名! B: 其實台北還有很多好餐廳,那其他的亞洲城市呢? A: 新加坡今年入選9家,可說是亞洲美食之都。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
Let’s explore another delicacy primarily known to Tainan locals: floating milkfish in thick soup. Despite its peculiar name, this dish is another Tainan specialty that showcases the popularity of milkfish, which is made into fish paste and served in thick soup. Unlike the version with tutuo fish, which also adds other ingredients to its thick soup, the floating milkfish version primarily features the “floating fish” itself in its thick soup, ensuring that the fish paste remains the star of the dish. 讓我們來探索另一道台南人熟悉的美食:浮水魚羹。這道菜名奇特的美食,再再展現了台南虱目魚料理的多樣。浮水魚羹是用虱目魚漿做成的羹品,雖然和𩵚魠魚羹一樣是羹湯,但不像𩵚魠魚羹會在湯中加入其他食材,而是讓虱目魚漿成為這道料理的主角。 peculiar (adj.) 獨特的;古怪的 The belly of a milkfish is considered the most
The practice of freezing embryos as part of in vitro fertilization (IVF) was thrown into chaos in Alabama this year, when the state supreme court ruled that such embryos should be considered children, exposing clinics to wrongful death claims in the event they are destroyed in the thawing process. In 2021, more than 80 percent of US IVF procedures involved the transfer of frozen embryos, according to a recent report by the US Department of Health and Human Services. HOW IS EMBRYO FREEZING USED IN IVF? IVF uses high doses of hormones to stimulate ovaries to produce as many eggs as possible. Once
A situation puzzle is a game in which one person describes a scenario and asks the players to explain it. The situation is deliberately lacking in details, but the players may acquire more information by asking questions — however, these can only be answered with “yes” or “no.” A player wins by describing the approximate events that led up to the situation. To do so, they must use a blend of logical and lateral thinking. A famous example of this is sometimes known as “Turtle Soup.” Here’s the riddle: “A man in a restaurant orders turtle soup, tastes it