>> Bilingual Story is a fictionalized account 雙語故事部分內容純屬虛構<<
In the heart of a busy Taipei night market, under rows of glowing red lanterns, Detective Lee started her “foodie” mission to find the most distinctive Taiwanese night market snack. As aromas flowed through the air, she navigated a maze of flavors, each stall offering its own piece of Taiwan’s rich food culture.
Bubble Tea
Photo: AI 照片：AI
She first started with a sip of Taiwan’s iconic Bubble Tea. The sweet, milky tea filled with chewy tapioca pearls was delicious. It wasn’t just a drink but a cultural phenomenon representing the playful spirit of Taiwan’s culinary creativity.
Stinky Tofu
Lee then tried stinky tofu, a street food icon known for pungent smell. She was always amazed at how the fermentation process transformed the tofu into a delicacy with a complex taste beneath its golden exterior.
Taiwanese Fried Chicken / Deep-fried Squid
Next, the Taiwanese fried chicken caught her attention. Its savory taste and crunchy texture is the perfect example of Taiwanese people’s love of bold flavors. As Lee continued, she tasted and enjoyed the chewy texture savory taste of the deep-fried squid, a reminder of the island’s dependence on the sea.
Beef Noodles
Deciding to warm up in the winter evening chill, Lee enjoyed a bowl of beef noodles. Its spicy broth offered comfort and a burst of hearty flavors to nourish her soul.
Oyster Omelet
The next stop was oyster omelet, a beloved dish at the night market. Small, chewy oysters were mixed into an egg batter, thickened with sweet potato starch to create a creamy texture that contrasted beautifully with the crispy edges once fried. Fresh leafy greens added a splash of color and a refreshing crunch to enhance the savory flavors, and the slightly spicy sauce complemented the salty taste of the oysters. But it was more than its taste that made the oyster omelet special. This dish was like history on a plate. Originating from the coastal areas of Taiwan where oysters are plentiful, the oyster omelet symbolizes the island’s resourcefulness and the blending of land and sea. The oyster omelet isn’t just a food; it is a story of Taiwan’s history, its people, and their connection to the environment.
在繁忙的台北夜市中心，一排排紅燈籠的照耀下，李偵探開始了她的「老饕」任務：尋找最具特色的台灣夜市小吃。隨著香氣在空氣中流動，她在一個充滿各種氣味的迷宮中探索著，每個攤位提供著臺灣飲食文化的一隅，展現各自獨特的風味。
珍珠奶茶
她先啜飲了一口台灣獨具代表性的珍珠奶茶。香甜的奶茶，充斥著 Q 彈有嚼勁的珍珠，美味無比。這不僅僅是一種飲料，更是一種文化現象，代表了台灣烹飪創意的玩味精神。
臭豆腐
接著，李偵探嘗試了臭豆腐，這是一種以刺鼻氣味聞名的街頭小吃。她總是驚嘆於發酵過程如何將豆腐轉變為一種外皮金黃、內裡味道複雜的美食。
鹽酥雞、炸魷魚
緊接著，台灣的鹽酥雞吸引了她的注意。其鹹香的味道和酥脆的質地完美體現了台灣人對大膽風味的喜愛。隨著李偵探繼續她的探索，她品嚐並享受了炸魷魚那具有嚼勁的口感和鹹香的滋味，這讓她想起了台灣對海洋的依賴。
牛肉麵
為了在寒冷的冬夜中暖暖身，李偵探享用了一碗牛肉麵。其辛辣的湯汁迸發出的濃郁滋味所帶來的慰藉滋養著她的靈魂。
蚵仔煎
下一站是蚵仔煎，這是夜市中極受歡迎的一道小點。小小的、有嚼勁的蚵仔被混入蛋液中，加入地瓜粉增稠，創造出一種濃稠的質地，與煎炸後的酥脆邊緣形成美麗的對比。新鮮的葉菜增添了一抹色彩和清新的脆感，增強了鹹香的味道，而微辣的醬汁則與蚵仔的鹹味相得益彰。但蚵仔煎之所以特別，不僅僅在於它的味道。這道菜就像是餐盤中的歷史。蚵仔煎起源於台灣沿海地區，那裡蚵仔豐富，蚵仔煎象徵著台灣的資源豐富以及陸地與海洋的融合。蚵仔煎不僅僅是一種食物；它是台灣歷史、人民及其與環境聯繫的故事。
Epilogue 故事討論
As Detective Lee concluded her mission, the choice was crystal clear. Among all of the delicious night market offerings, the oyster omelet rose above the rest as the most distinctive Taiwanese snack. Its deep cultural roots and exceptional culinary characteristics made it not just a meal, but an experience — a true taste of Taiwan.
當李偵探結束她的任務時，她的選擇顯而易見。在所有美味的夜市小吃中，蚵仔煎脫穎而出，成為最具特色的台灣小吃。其深厚的文化根源和卓越的烹飪特性使它不僅僅是一道餐點，而是一種體驗——一種真正的台灣味。
Vocabulary 單字片語
1. mission 任務
2. night market 夜市
3. stall 攤販、攤位、貨攤
4. foodie 老饕、吃貨、美食家
5. snack 小吃、點心、快餐
6. bubble tea (also known as bubble milk tea, pearl milk tea, boba tea or boba) 珍珠奶茶
7. chewy （有）嚼勁
8. stinky tofu 臭豆腐
9. pungent 刺鼻
10. Taiwanese fried chicken 鹽酥雞
11. savory 鹹香/鹹的
12. deep-fried squid 炸魷魚
13. beef noodles 牛肉麵
14. spicy 辛辣
15. oyster omelet 蚵仔煎
16 crispy 酥脆
Idioms 相關成語
1. crystal clear 顯而易見
2. rise above the rest 脫穎而出
Nigel P. Daly is a writer with a language learning newsletter called Chin-glish bilingual lab (https://ndaly.substack.com).
Cynthia Chen is a translator and writer specializing in blogs, scripts and articles.
A: It’s a pity that I can’t go to Australian pop diva Kylie Minogue’s concert. B: Why not? A: Hit Japanese singer Kenshi Yonezu is staging two shows at the Taipei Arena this weekend, and I already bought tickets long ago. B: Wow, isn’t he one of the most popular Japanese singers in recent years? A: And Yonezu’s megahit “Lemon” topped the Billboard Japan Hot 100’s year-end chart in 2018 and 2019 consecutively. A: 我不能去澳洲歌后凱莉米諾的演唱會真可惜。 B: 為什麼？ A: 日本人氣歌手米津玄師週末將在小巨蛋熱唱兩場，我早早就買票啦。 B: 哇他可是日本近年來最紅的歌手之一。 A: 米津的神曲《Lemon》甚至還在2018、2019年連續稱霸告示牌日本單曲榜年度冠軍！ (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪)
A: Australian pop diva Kylie Minogue is set to visit Taiwan for the third time on Saturday. B: I remember that her Taipei concerts in 2008 and 2011 caused a sensation, and I love her megahit “Can’t Get You Out of My Head.” A: This will be her first time performing in the southern city of Kaohsiung. B: Many music critics praise Kylie’s show as “a must-see in your lifetime.” A: Let’s go to Kaohsiung this weekend. A: 澳洲歌后凱莉米諾週六即將三度訪台。 B: 她曾在2008、2011年兩度在台北開唱都造成大轟動，我超愛她的神曲《Can’t Get You Out of My Head》。 A: 這次可是她首度唱進南台灣的高雄呢。 B: 許多樂評家說她的演唱會是「此生必看」！ A: 那我們週末去高雄吧。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）
The Lemon Festival is a fun annual celebration in Menton, France. This festival began in 1934 and honors the region’s exceptional lemons. __1__ in February during the lemon season, the festival features beautiful floats and sculptures covered with dazzling lemons and oranges. These citrus creations are on display in the bright sunshine throughout the day, while at night, they are lit up and turn the town into a __2__ spectacle. The festival’s origins can be traced back to the late 19th century, when Menton was a major lemon producer. __3__, hotels would decorate their spaces with lemons and oranges
中國海關總署突然發布通知，指台灣輸入的釋迦及蓮霧檢出介殼蟲「大洋臀紋粉蚧」，決定暫停輸入。 In September 2021, China’s customs administration announced that it would suspend imports of sweetsop and jambu from Taiwan, citing discoveries of Planococcus minor, a type of mealybug. 蓮霧 (jambu/champoo, Syzygium samarangense) ，又名洋蒲桃，是桃金孃科熱帶水果，原產於印尼和馬來西亞，在星、馬稱作水蓊，中、港、澳稱作天桃。 蓮霧學名中的種小名 samarangense，係因模式標本採自印尼的Semarang (三寶瓏) 而得名。 蓮霧馬來語稱為 jambu air，第二個字 air讀作 /?a??(r)/，是水的意思，荷蘭人從印尼引進台灣，台語音譯為蓮霧 ian-b?。 以往蓮霧常見譯為 wax apple，聽起來好像素描靜物用的蠟製水果 (Wax Fruit)，曾有人問美國朋友要不要吃蓮霧? Care for a wax apple? 對方回一句：Why not a real one? 近來美國市場流行泰語的講法 champoo。蓮霧果實長得像鈴鐺，因此又稱為 bell-fruit。 Syzygium samarangense is a tropical fruit in the family Myrtaceae, native to the Greater Sunda Islands and the Malay Peninsula. Common names in English include champoo, jambu, bell fruit, rose apple, Java apple, and wax apple. In Taiwan, the dark red cultivars are nicknamed “Black
RSS