If Taiwanese people want to get a small present to share with friends, the first thing they probably think of getting is some pineapple cakes. It’s not just an easy thing to buy: Taiwanese people really like to eat this square-shaped traditional pastry. It is also rich with symbolism as in Taiwanese Hokkien, “pineapple” is pronounced “onglai,” with “ong” meaning “prosperity” and “lai” meaning “to come.” So eating pineapple symbolizes the arrival of prosperity. This auspicious symbolism is one of the reasons pineapple cakes are so popular in Taiwan and often given as souvenirs.
許多台灣人想買禮物送給好友時，最先想到的大概就是鳳梨酥。可別以為是因為鳳梨酥到處都買得到，也是因為台灣人很愛吃這道傳統糕點。鳳梨在台語中鳳梨唸做「旺來」，「旺」是好運，「來」是帶來，「旺來」意思是「好運不斷來」，具有吉祥的寓意，因而成為伴手禮首選。
pastry (n.) 糕餅，糕點
Photo: Flickr 照片：Flickr
souvenir (n.) 伴手禮；紀念品
Taiwan is said to be a “cornucopia of fruit,” and one of its representative fruits is the pineapple. The origin of using pineapple as a filling began in ancient times, when people gave a round pineapple cake as a wedding gift. This eventually evolved into the small, rectangle pineapple cakes that we see today. But decades ago, pineapples had tough fibers and were more acidic. To balance the flavor, Taiwanese bakers thought of adding winter melon jam to the pineapple jam as part of the filling. Winter melons have several advantages, including their easy availability, lower cost, density and delicate taste. But with the improvement of pineapple varieties, today’s pineapples are sweeter and less acidic, so one can find authentic “pineapple cakes” with only a slightly sour taste and thinner fiber.
台灣素有「水果王國」的美譽，鳳梨更是台灣水果中的「水果之王」。鳳梨酥的起源是圓形的鳳梨大餅，為古時候的喜餅，逐漸演變成今日吃的方形鳳梨酥。早年的鳳梨纖維粗，嘗起來偏酸，因此加入冬瓜醬來平衡風味，這是因為冬瓜價格低，容易買到，口感還綿密細緻，但隨著鳳梨品種改良，培育出酸度低、纖維細的鳳梨，純鳳梨餡的鳳梨酥也隨之誕生。
cornucopia (n.) 聚寶盆；豐盛
fibers (n.) 纖維
acidic (n.) 酸的
Pineapple cakes have a crust made from low-gluten flour and butter, which is wrapped around condensed pineapple jam. The outer layer is crumbly, while the sweet filling has a fruity aroma. Pineapple cakes are often paired with tea, and many pineapple cake shops offer free samples of their cakes and hot tea for their customers to savor. One good option to pair with these cakes is the world-renowned oolong tea, which is half-fermented, providing an elegant aroma and a clear and bright tea liquor. The sweetness of the pineapple cakes and the fragrance of oolong tea complement each other, creating a wonderful taste.
鳳梨酥外皮用低筋麵粉和奶油，裡頭包裹著鳳梨醬。外皮一咬即碎，甜甜的內餡帶有果香。不少台灣人在吃鳳梨酥時會喝茶，平衡鳳梨酥的甜膩。許多鳳梨酥店在提供試吃時也會提供熱茶，如台灣知名的烏龍茶，茶香馥郁，茶湯清澈，與鳳梨酥兩相搭配，風味絕佳。
crust (n.) 餅皮
tea liquor (n. phr.) 茶湯
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