The egg tart is a delicious pastry-based snack loved the world over, but what is the origin of this much-adored dessert? In modern times, it is considered an Asian invention. However, like many things, it appears that the tart’s origin story lies in colonialism.
Egg tarts were actually invented in either Portugal or England many centuries ago. Historical records suggest that they were served at the coronation of King Henry IV of England in 1399. Even further back in history, in the 1200s, Portuguese monks at Jeronimos Monastery in Lisbon are believed to have started making egg tarts using egg yolks after previously encountering various delicious pastries in France.
Fast-forward to 1820, and monks at the same monastery began selling egg tarts to a nearby sugar refinery to sustain the monastery. Unfortunately, due to a changing political climate in Portugal, the monastery eventually closed down in 1834 and sold their recipe to the owner of the refinery, which subsequently transformed into a bakery. There, you can still buy egg tarts made using the original recipe.
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Regarding how the egg tart came to Asia, it is likely to have been introduced to China when Portuguese sailors first arrived in Guangzhou in 1513. Much later in the 1840s, Hong Kong became a British colony. Tea restaurants offering Western dishes began popping up after World War II. There they created modifications of egg tarts, French toast and even milk tea. These restaurants continue to thrive.
This, in a nutshell, is the history of the egg tart and how it became popular in Asia. The most certain thing is that no matter where you believe egg tarts came from, once you start eating them, you won’t be able to stop.
「蛋塔」是在全世界受到喜愛的美味酥皮點心，但這受到萬千寵愛的甜點從何而來？在現代，蛋塔被認為是亞洲人發明的。然而，跟許多事物一樣，蛋塔的起源故事似乎在於殖民政策。
蛋塔其實是在好幾世紀前，於葡萄牙或英國發明的。歷史紀錄顯示，蛋塔曾在1399年於英格蘭國王亨利四世的加冕典禮上供應。再更久遠一點至1200年代，有人認為葡萄牙里斯本「熱羅尼莫斯修道院」的修士，過去在法國接觸到美味的糕點後，便開始使用蛋黃製作蛋塔。
時間快轉到1820年，同間修道院的修士開始販售蛋塔給鄰近的糖廠以支撐修道院。不幸的是，因為葡萄牙政治局勢的改變，該修道院最後在1834年關閉了，他們便將蛋塔的食譜賣給糖廠老闆，那間糖廠後來則變成了一間麵包店。在那裡，你仍可以買到用最初的食譜製成的蛋塔。
關於蛋塔是如何傳至亞洲，可能是在1513年葡萄牙水手首次登陸廣州時傳入中國。過一段時間到了1840年代，香港成為英國殖民地。二戰後，提供西方餐點的茶餐廳開始出現。他們做出蛋塔、法式吐司甚至奶茶的修改版。這些餐廳至今仍生意興隆。
簡而言之，這就是蛋塔的歷史，以及蛋塔是如何在亞洲受到歡迎。最能確定的事是，不管你認為蛋塔起源何處，一旦你開始吃蛋塔，就停不下來了。
What Did You Learn?
1. The following content is taken from a diary about the history of the egg tart. Where and when might it be written, according to the passage?
We have been using egg whites to starch our clothing, but yolks were often thrown away. Today, we came up with a good idea. We made delicious pastries with the yolks.
(A) In England in 1399.
(B) In Lisbon in the 1200s.
(C) In France in 1513.
(D) In Asia in 1820.
2. According to the Day 1 passage, what happened after the egg tart was brought to Hong Kong?
(A) Portuguese sailors created a lot of different styles and flavors.
(B) The pastry became popular in Hong Kong and later spread across China.
(C) Hong Kong made some changes in the egg tart, and it became well-loved.
(D) Some restaurants in Hong Kong went to Western countries to get the recipe.
答案
1. (B) 2. (C)
Word in Use
1. pastry n. 酥皮點心／糕點
Mooncakes are a kind of round pastry that people eat during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
月餅是一種人們在中秋節時吃的圓形糕點。
2. adore vt. 熱愛，非常喜歡
Josh adores sushi so much that he went to Japan to learn how to make it from a master.
賈許喜歡壽司喜歡到去日本跟一名達人學做壽司。
3. colonialism n. 殖民政策／主義
colony n. 殖民地
Colonialism affected millions of people in terms of cultures and policies.
殖民政策在文化和政策方面影響了數百萬人。
Many European countries established their colonies in the 15th century.
許多歐洲國家在十五世紀建立了自己的殖民地。
4. encounter vt. 碰見，意外遇見
I encountered one of my high school friends at my new company.
我在新公司碰見中學時期的一位朋友。
5. sustain vt. 支撐，維持
The man trapped in the cave relied on a piece of chocolate to sustain his life for a week.
那名被困在山洞的男子仰賴一片巧克力維持生命一週。
Practical Phrases
1. lie in. . . 在於……
The key to making good PowerPoint slides lies in simplicity and clarity.
要做出好的投影片簡報，關鍵在於簡單和清晰易懂。
2. close down 關閉，倒閉
The factory closed down last month due to a lack of funding.
這座工廠上個月因缺乏資金而倒閉。
3. introduce A to B 將A引進B
Once the boss introduced the new rules to the company, many employees decided to quit.
老闆一將新規定引進公司，很多員工都決定要辭職。
聽文章朗讀及講解: https://ivy.pse.is/455bfu
本文出自常春藤解析英語雜誌: www.ivy.com.tw
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