Taiwan is hot in the summer, and a popular way to beat the heat is by eating shaved ice, with traditional toppings including adzuki beans, mung beans, tapioca pearls, taro balls and mesona jelly. However, mango shaved ice has in recent years become a favorite among Taiwanese people. Different from classic versions, mango shaved ice features juicy mango chunks on top of the ice, drenched in syrup and condensed milk, and crowned with a scoop of mango or vanilla ice cream. Some shops even add slices of pickled green mango for a sweet and sour taste.
台灣夏季炎熱，吃刨冰即是大家抵擋酷暑的好方法。刨冰經典配料有紅豆、綠豆、粉圓、芋圓、仙草等，但除了傳統刨冰，近年來台灣人也愛吃芒果刨冰。不同於傳統配料，刨冰上放上芒果，淋上糖水和煉乳，頂部再放上一球芒果或香草冰淇淋，有些店家還會放酸酸甜甜的芒果青。
taro ball (n. phr.) 芋圓
Photo courtesy of Bookman l 圖片:書林
mesona jelly (n. phr.) 仙草
condensed milk (n. phr.) 煉乳
vanilla (n.) 香草
Mangoes have a delicate, succulent flesh that is sweet and has a vibrant orange color. When served with shaved ice, it is a popular dessert among locals and tourists in Taiwan, and CNN has recognized it as one of the world’s best desserts. They are in season during the summer, when the days are hot and it’s the perfect time to eat shaved ice. But since the climate of Taiwan remains warm year-round, shaved ice is available at any time. When mango is out of season, other fruits like strawberries and kiwis are also popular options.
芒果果肉呈亮橙色，口感細緻，香甜多汁。芒果刨冰受海內外遊客喜愛，美國有線電視（CNN）還曾將其選為世界上最好吃的甜點之一。芒果產季在夏天，天氣炎熱，正是適合吃冰的時候。不過台灣天氣較溫暖，一年四季都買得到刨冰，產季外草莓、奇異果等水果也是熱門口味。
succulent (adj.) 汁多味美的
strawberry (n.) 草莓
kiwi (n.) 奇異果
However, it is worth mentioning that the ice dessert recommended by CNN is a variation called mango snowflake ice. Both shaved ice and snowflake ice are made with the same ingredients, but the difference lies in the ice itself. Shaved ice is made from water that is frozen into blocks and then shaved into small pieces. In contrast, snowflake ice is mainly made from milk and is shaved into thin, snowflake-like sheets. It instantly melts in your mouth and has a sweet flavor.
不過值得一提的是，CNN 推薦的其實是芒果雪花冰。刨冰和雪花冰的配料相同，不同就在於冰的原料。刨冰的原料即是水，凝結成冰塊後用機器刨碎，雪花冰的冰磚主要原料為牛奶，削成如雪花般的薄片，入口即化，帶有甜味。
Because mango flowers have very little nectar, they cannot attract butterflies and bees to help with pollination. When the mango trees are in bloom, farmers often use odorous substances, such as rotten fish and poultry viscera, to attract flies to pollinate them instead. So, in spring, the areas where mangoes are grown in Taiwan often have an unpleasant smell. This is the price you must pay to enjoy this delicious fruit!
因為芒果花蜜少，無法吸引蝴蝶和蜜蜂授粉，於是芒果開花時果農會用發臭的雜魚及動物內臟等，散發臭味引來蒼蠅授粉。因此每到春季，芒果田總是會發出陣陣惡臭，這就是想吃好吃的芒果必須付出的代價！
nectar (n.) 花蜜
pollination (n.) 授粉
odorous (adj.) 有臭味的
poultry (n.) 家禽
viscera (n.) （複數）內臟
文章由書林出版公司提供：
www.bookman.com.tw
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