VOA慢速英语：泰国美味甜品的历史

The Chao PhrayaRiver is an important part of daily life in Thailand. The Chao Phraya flows through Bangkok on its way to the Gulf of Thailand. Years ago, many immigrants from Portugal and China set up homes along the river in what is now the Thai capital. Their lives soon changed in their new country. But one sweet food they enjoyed has remained much the same over the years.

在泰国，湄南河是日常生活中的一个重要组成部分。湄南河注入泰国湾，流经曼谷。几年前，来自葡萄牙和中国的许多移民沿着河岸定居在这里，现在是泰国的首都。在新的国家，他们的生活很快发生改变。但他们喜欢一种甜品，这一点多年来从未改变。

The Santa CruzChurch has been a well-known building in Bangkok for hundreds of years. Nearby, in the narrow streets behind the building, you can still find khanom farang kutii jiin. In Thai, that means the "foreigners' snack of the Chinese church."

数百年来，圣克鲁斯教堂一直是曼谷著名的建筑。在其附近，这座教堂后面的一条狭窄街道上，你仍然可以找到khanom farang kutii jiin。在泰国，它的意思是中国教堂的外国小吃。

Khanom farang kutii jiin being made at the Thanusingha Bakery. (Zinlat Aung for VOA News)

The way to make thelittle Portuguese dry cakes is simple. They contain duck eggs, sugar, wheat flour, raisins, and are covered with syrup and persimmon.

制作葡萄牙干点心的方法很简单。它们所用材料包括鸭蛋、糖、面粉、葡萄干，并且在上面刷上糖浆，铺上柿子丁。

Cooking the popular treats is not easy. The equipment used at the Thanusingha Bakery is a trade secret.

烹饪流行的美味是不易的。Thanusingha面包店使用的烘培设备是商业机密。

But at the competing Larn Mae Pao bakery, there is no secret. Everything is out in the open. The muffins are baked on small stones. They are heated by gas from below and coal above.

但在具有竞争力的Larn Mae Pao面包店，不存在商业机密。一切都是公开的。松饼是在小石头上烘烤，下面由天然气进行加热，上面是煤。

This Thai woman says, "What makes kanom farang kutii jiin special is that it is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. But we never make them too crispy."

这名泰国女子表示kanom farang kutii的特色在于它外表酥脆、内心暄软。但我们也从不会使它们过于酥脆。

Kanom farang kutii jiin is also made without baking powder, yeast, or other additives. People say it really tastes like it did centuries ago.

Kanom farang kutii jiin的制作不掺杂发酵粉、酵母或其他添加剂。人们说它吃起来就像几个世纪前做的那样。

The owner of the bakery says, "If someone from the 16th century tried these, they would say they're similar to those of that time. Some Portuguese who have traveled here say they do taste like what their parents and grandparents made."

面包店的老板表示：“如果有生活在16世纪的人来尝试这些甜品，他们会说味道和那个时候的一样。来这儿旅行过的葡萄牙人说：它们尝起来确实像他们的父辈或祖辈做的那样。”

The sweet little food of the Portuguese Catholic settlers is still making people happy.

葡萄牙天主教居民的小甜品仍然让人们心情愉悦。。

This man says, "It's my first time having this. I will come back!"

这名男子说，“这是我第一次吃这个，我一定会再回来！”

The bakers of Bangkokhope people will enjoy their tasty treat for many years to come. It remains a link to the Portuguese soldiers, businessmen, and religious workers who first traveled to the Kingdom of Siam 500 years ago.

在未来，曼谷的面包师们希望大家会喜欢他们的美味的食物。它仍然是那些第一次前往暹罗王国（现在的泰国）的葡萄牙士兵、商人之间的一种联系。

I'm Jonathan Evans.

VOA correspondent Steve Herman reported this story from Bangkok. Jim Tedder adapted this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

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Words in This Story

church– n. a Christian religious center

snack– n. a treat; a small piece of food eaten between meals

cakes– n. a sweet food that is normally cooked with dry heat

crispy – adj. having a firm, dry surface, but one that can break easily