能吃的地图

我们的中国旅游计划，你已经写好了。我看了看，我们先去四川，然后去江南，最后去山西，对不对？

You've already finished writing our China trip itinerary. I looked at it: we go to Sichuan first, then Jiangnan, then Shanxi last. Right?

对，不过我发现一件事情。我们说是先去哪个城市，其实心里想的都是菜：四川就是麻辣，江南就是甜的菜，山西就是酸的醋。我们说的是地方，其实想的是口味。

Right, but I noticed something. We say we're going to this city or that one, but what we're actually thinking about is food: Sichuan means numbing-spicy, Jiangnan means sweet food, Shanxi means sour vinegar. We say places, but we're really thinking flavors.

你说得对。我本来想去四川看看历史和风景，但是我第一个想到的是四川菜很辣，还要放很多花椒，吃着又辣又香。

You're right. I originally wanted to go to Sichuan for the history and the scenery, but the first thing I thought of was that Sichuan food is really spicy, with a lot of Sichuan peppercorn in it, spicy and fragrant to eat.

对，四川的口味就是麻辣。我还想尝尝那边的豆腐，听说四川人做豆腐也放花椒，一起做出来，口味比其他地方的豆腐更麻辣。

Right, Sichuan's flavor really is numbing-spicy. I also want to try the tofu there. I've heard Sichuan people put Sichuan peppercorn in their tofu too, and made that way, it's more numbing-spicy than tofu anywhere else.

那江南呢？你说过，那边的菜跟四川完全不一样。

What about Jiangnan then? You said the food there is completely different from Sichuan's.

对，江南的菜系跟四川的菜系不一样。江南人喜欢甜一点的口味，做菜的时候会放一点糖，这跟四川的麻辣完全相反。

Right, Jiangnan's cuisine is a different school from Sichuan's. Jiangnan people like their food a little sweet, and put a bit of sugar in when they cook, which is the complete opposite of Sichuan's numbing-spicy.

这么说，我们其实是想去尝一尝两种不一样的口味，不是想去看两个不一样的城市？

So you're saying we actually want to go taste two different flavors, not go look at two different cities?

我觉得是这样。你想想，我们去博物馆，能看到这个地方以前的样子。但是坐下来吃饭，能知道这个地方现在的人过着什么样的生活。我觉得饭桌比博物馆更能告诉我们一个地方是什么样子。

I think that's right. Think about it: going to a museum, we can see what a place used to look like. But sitting down to eat, we can find out what kind of life the people there live now. I think the dinner table can tell us what a place is like better than a museum can.

为什么呢？博物馆里的东西是很久以前的，但是饭桌上的菜是今天的，是现在的人天天吃的。

Why is that? The things in a museum are from a long time ago, but the food on the dinner table is from today, it's what the people there eat every single day.

对，而且口味跟气候也有关系。四川比较湿润，湿润的地方比较适合种很辣的东西，所以四川人才吃得那么辣。湿润的地方也适合种米，干燥的地方更适合种小麦，北方就是比较干燥。

Right, and flavor is also related to climate. Sichuan is fairly humid, and humid places are better suited to growing very spicy things, so that's why Sichuan people eat so spicy. Humid places also suit growing rice, dry places better suit growing wheat, and the north happens to be fairly dry.

北方呢？我记得北方人不怎么吃辣，也不怎么吃米饭，是不是因为小麦比米好种？

What about the north? I remember northerners don't eat very spicy, and don't eat much rice either. Is that because wheat is easier to grow there than rice?

对，北方水少，比较干燥，种小麦比种米容易，所以北方人天天吃面条，吃饺子，很少吃米饭。北方的口味也比较咸，因为咸的菜能放得更久。

Right, the north has little water and is fairly dry, so growing wheat is easier than growing rice, which is why northerners eat noodles and dumplings every day and rarely eat rice. The north's flavor also tends saltier, because salty food can be kept longer.

那山西呢？山西人为什么喜欢吃酸的东西？

What about Shanxi then? Why do Shanxi people like to eat sour food?

山西的醋很有名，山西人做菜都放醋，口味比较酸。我听人说，山西那边水也比较少，气候比较干，可能跟这个也有关系，不过这个原因我还不太清楚。

Shanxi's vinegar is very famous, Shanxi people put vinegar in their cooking, so the flavor is fairly sour. I've heard people say Shanxi also has less water and a fairly dry climate, which might be related too, but I'm not too clear on that reason.

所以我们的旅游计划，其实是一张能吃的地图？先去四川尝麻辣和花椒，再去江南尝甜的菜系，最后去山西尝酸的醋？

So our travel itinerary is actually a map you can eat? Go to Sichuan first to taste numbing-spicy and Sichuan peppercorn, then Jiangnan to taste the sweet cuisine, then Shanxi last to taste the sour vinegar?

对！我觉得这样说更清楚。以后别人问我们去中国要去哪儿，我们可以说，我们是去尝一尝四川、江南、山西这三种不一样的口味，这比只说去了三个地方更有意思。

Right! I think that's a clearer way to put it. From now on, when people ask us where we're going in China, we can say we're going to taste three different flavors, Sichuan, Jiangnan, and Shanxi, which is more interesting than just saying we visited three places.