Ethan: You know, it's a little strange. If people aren't asking if I've already eaten, they're inquiring about whether I'm full or not. What gives?
Laura: I think they're being polite. As you know, Taiwanese people love their food. There's even an old Chinese saying that goes "for people, food is paramount."
Ethan: With all the delicious Chinese restaurants around the world, this isn't too surprising. Why are they so interested in food?
Laura: Some people say it's because Chinese people feared not getting enough food to feed their families in ancient times.
Ethan: I suppose there were lots of famines back then, eh?
Laura: Famines, droughts, and wars. Any of these disasters could leave people hungry. This made rice very important.
Ethan: Sounds like the way the Irish feel about potatoes. Potatoes were their main food. As long as you had potatoes, you could survive.
Laura: That's right. Chinese people also associated rice and food with prosperity. Rich people could eat as much as they wanted.
Ethan: So, even in modern Taiwan where everyone has enough to eat, people still think this way about food.
Laura: That's right.
Ethan: Do Taiwanese people have rice with every single meal?
Laura: They do, more or less. Whether they're at home or attending a fancy banquet, rice goes with pretty much everything.
Ethan: So, all of the main Chinese styles are available in Taiwan?
Laura: Yes, that's why it's a great place for food lovers! You can also find various kinds of foreign food in the big cities, such as Thai, Vietnamese, French, and Indonesian cuisine.
伊森：你知道嗎？很奇怪喔，一般人不是問我吃過了沒，就是問我吃飽了沒，這是為什麼？
蘿拉：這只是禮貌而已啊。你也知道，台灣人熱愛美食，中國甚至有句古老的諺語說：「民以食為天。」
伊森：從全世界有這麼多美味的中國餐廳看來，這點倒是不足為奇。可是他們為什麼這麼熱衷飲食呢？
蘿拉：有人說，這是因為古代的中國人老是擔心食物不夠，會餓到家人。
伊森：我想當時有很多飢荒吧？
蘿拉：飢荒、乾旱與戰爭，這些災難都會讓人挨餓，米飯因此變得非常重要。
伊森：聽來就像愛爾蘭人對馬鈴薯的感覺一樣，馬鈴薯過去是他們的主食，只要有馬鈴薯就能活下去。
蘿拉：沒錯，中國人也把米飯、食物和富裕聯想在一起，有錢人想吃多少就能吃多少。
伊森：所以，即使今天台灣人人有飯吃，這種想法還是沒有變。
蘿拉沒錯。
伊森：台灣人每一餐都會吃飯嗎？
蘿拉：多多少少都會，不管他們是在家吃飯，還是出去參加豪華宴會，白飯幾乎配什麼都好吃。
伊森：那所有主要的中國菜在台灣都有嗎？
蘿拉：對啊，所以說這裡是饕客的天堂！大都市裡還有各式各樣的外國料理，像是泰國菜、越南菜、法國菜，還有印尼菜。 |
