It’s the hottest season of the year in Japan, and that means it’s eel season. So, bottoms up!
A drink called “Unagi Nobori,” or “Surging Eel,” made by Japan Tobacco Inc., hit the nation’s stores this month. Its arrival comes just ahead of Japan’s annual eel-eating season, company spokesman Kazunori Hayashi said.
“It’s mainly for men who are exhausted by the summer’s heat,” Hayashi said of the beverage.
Many Japanese believe eating eel boosts stamina in hot weather.
The fizzy, yellow-colored drink contains extracts from the head and bones of eel.
Demand for eel is so high that Japan has been hit by scores of eel fraud cases. In a recent high-profile case, two companies mislabeled eel imported from China as being grown in Japan.
The eel involved in recent scandals was prepared in a popular “kaba-yaki” style, in which it is broiled and covered with a sweet sauce. The ¥140 (NT$40) drink costs about one-tenth as much as broiled eel, but has a similar flavor.
Eel extract is also used in cookies and pies made in Japan’s biggest eel producing town, Hamamatsu.
(AP)
現在正值日本一年之中最熱的季節，也就是「鰻魚季」。所以來乾杯吧！
日本菸草公司發言人林和則表示，該公司搶在一年一度的鰻魚季展開前，於本月推出一種名叫「急騰鰻魚」的飲料。
林說：「這種飲料主要是為了曝曬在夏日高溫下的男性而設計。」
許多日本人都相信，大熱天吃鰻魚可以增強精力。
這種黃色的氣泡飲料內含鰻魚頭、骨的萃取液。
日本對鰻魚的需求量極大，因此鰻魚詐欺事件頻傳。最近一起受到高度矚目的詐欺案件中，兩家公司把從中國進口的鰻魚標示為日本本地養殖。
最近幾起詐欺事件中的鰻魚都被製成廣受歡迎的「蒲燒」口味，即以沾淋甜醬汁燒烤的方式料理。一瓶一百四十日圓（新台幣四十元）的鰻魚飲料，價格大約是烤鰻魚的十分之一，但口味卻相當類似。
日本最大鰻魚產地濱松市也會利用鰻魚萃取物來製作餅乾和派餅。
（美聯社�翻譯：袁星塵）
1. exhausted adj.
精疲力竭的 (jing1 pi2 li4 jie2 de5)
例: I was exhausted after all that partying.
(派對後我整個人累癱了。)
2. stamina n.
精力 (jing1 li4)，耐力 (nai4 li4)
例: My stamina doesn't allow me to work seven hours straight without a break.
(我的體力不容我連續工作七小時不休息。)
3. extract n.
萃取物 (cui4 qu3 wu4)
例: Have you ever had ginseng extract?
(你有喝過人參精嗎？)
4. fraud n.
詐欺 (zha4 qi1)
例: The latest case of fraud shocked the nation.
(最近那起詐欺案震驚全國。)
RSS