It was a sacred liquid to the Aztecs and consumed for centuries in Mexico, but the traditional pulque drink seems to be fading in popularity.
Produced from the sap of the maguey plant, pulque advocates say the drink has medicinal qualities. But they worry that beer and other beverages are pushing it aside.
Beer drinkers can find pulque's taste off-putting and no advertising campaign has been undertaken to promote the drink, said Epifanio Leyva, who runs La Botija, a pulque bar in the Mexican capital.
PHOTO: AFP
"For 15 years the consumption of pulque has fallen, due to a lack of advertising by the big bars," Leyva said.
The milky beverage, with a low alcohol content, is served neat or with a taste of honey or fruit. At Leyva's bar, a glass of pulque goes for 10 pesos (less than NT$30) and is served with maize tortillas with a spicy salsa.
"You can drink one or two, eat three or four tortillas and you have a meal. Pulque is very nourishing," said Pablo Flores, a stout man with a passion for pulque.
"It gives strength to women after childbirth, helps produce milk in breastfeeding mothers and makes them want to have more children," said a smiling Flores, a regular at La Botija.
Ana Pablo, who works as a dishwasher at a restaurant, said her brother was advised to take pulque for his diabetes.
To the relief of La Botija's owner, much of his bar's clientele is young.
"At first, I didn't like the texture," said 21-year-old Saria Fuentes, "then I got used to the taste and now, I love it. And it doesn't give you a hangover. What more can you ask for?"(AFP)
爾奇酒對阿茲特克人來說是一種神聖的飲料，風靡墨西哥數世紀之久，但是這種傳統飲料似乎正逐漸淡出大眾生活。
這種飲料是用植物龍舌蘭的汁液製成的，普爾奇酒的擁護者說這種飲料具有療效，但他們擔心這種飲料的地位正漸漸被啤酒和其他飲料取代。
愛喝啤酒的人不喜歡普爾奇酒的口味，也沒有人願意幫該飲料打廣告宣傳，在墨西哥首都墨西哥市經營La Botija 普爾奇酒吧的艾琵法紐．萊發說。
「普爾奇酒這十五年來的銷售量每況愈下，這都是因為大酒吧不願意促銷這種飲料的關係，」萊發說。
這種乳白色的飲料酒精含量不高，不摻水喝或加蜂蜜或水果口味都可以。在萊發的酒吧，一杯普爾奇龍舌蘭只要十披索（低於新台幣三十元），還附贈一份烤玉米薄餅配莎莎辣醬。
「你可以喝個一兩杯，再吃三四片玉米薄餅，這樣就是一餐了，普爾奇酒的營養價值非常高，」身材矮胖、愛好普爾奇酒的波布羅．弗羅斯說。
「這種飲料可以為產後婦女補充精力，並讓餵母乳的母親分泌更多乳汁，讓她們想要多生幾個，」La Botija的常客弗羅斯笑說。
在餐廳當洗碗工的安娜:帕波洛表示，就有人建議她患有糖尿病的弟弟飲用普爾奇酒。
讓La Botija酒吧老闆感到欣慰的是，來這家酒吧的顧客都很年輕。
「一開始，我並不喜歡這種飲料，」二十一歲的莎里亞．芙安茲說：「喝習慣後，現在我已經愛上它了。最棒的是，這種飲料不會讓你宿醉。」（法新社�翻譯：袁星塵）
South Korea’s famous kimchi is falling victim to climate change, with scientists, farmers and manufacturers saying the quality and quantity of the napa cabbage that is pickled to make the ubiquitous dish is suffering due to rising temperatures. Napa cabbage thrives in cooler climates, and is usually planted in mountainous regions where temperatures during the key growing summer season once rarely rose above 25 degrees Celsius. Studies show that warmer weather brought about by climate change is now threatening these crops, so much so that South Korea might not be able to grow napa cabbage one day due to the intensifying heat. “We
A: The newest twist in “Friends” star Matthew Perry’s sudden death is shocking. B: Didn’t he die from a ketamine overdose last year? A: But the police say his death could be a conspiracy. B: Wow, what happened? A: Five suspects have been charged for intentionally supplying him with large amounts of ketamine for personal gain. A: 《六人行》男星馬修派瑞之死大逆轉真令人震驚！ B: 他去年不是因吸毒過量致死嗎？ A: 但警方說他的死可能是個陰謀。 B: 發生了什麼事？ A: 警方已起訴5名嫌犯，他們故意提供大量「K他命」給他，以謀取暴利。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
A: What’s even more horrible is that the five suspects who purposely supplied ketamine to actor Matthew Perry were all his “friends.” B: Who exactly are the five suspects? A: They include Matthew’s two doctors, a broker, a drug dealer, and even his live-in assistant. B: Those scumbags should go to jail. A: Yeah, one of the doctors may be sentenced to up to 120 years in prison. A: 更可怕的是，提供男星馬修派瑞「K他命」的5人全是他的「朋友」。 B: 嫌犯是誰啊？ A: 其中包括他的2位醫生、1位仲介、1位毒販、甚至他的同居助理！ B: 那些人渣真該去坐牢。 A: 對啊，其中1位醫生可能面臨120年徒刑。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
It’s widely recognized that there are far more right-handed people than left-handed people in the world. Being right-handed simply means preferring to use one’s right hand for tasks that involve only one hand, such as writing and eating. But have you ever wondered about the possible reasons behind the global dominance of the right hand over the left? As with many complex biological questions, multiple factors appear to be at play. First, one reason seems to be genetics. __1__ Therefore, the global dominance of right-handedness is something that has been passed down through many generations of humans. Next,
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