英语听力文摘 English Digest 727 泰国菜受欢迎的其他理由（在线收听）

Another Good Reason To Go For Thai Food

Have you ever wondered why some cuisines, like Indian and Thai, are so spicy and others, like English, are so bland? India and Thailand are very hot countries, while England is cold and damp. Perhaps the answer has something to do with the climate associated with each cuisine?

One explanation that supports this theory is that spices mask spoilage, and in a country with a hot climate and without refrigeration, that can come in handy. The second explanation has to do with bacteria; some scientists suggest that the spices in hot cuisines help protect humans from certain kinds of bacteria found in food. In fact, the hotter the country, the more likely it is that its recipes will use the kind of spices that slow down the growth of bacteria.

That’s right. For example, onion, garlic, oregano and allspice alone all kill or inhibit up to twenty-nine different kinds food-borne bacteria. In fact, most spices inhibit bacteria to some extent. And if you think about it, this makes sense. As plants evolved, they had to learn to fight off parasites and bacteria in order to survive. That’s how they got their distinctive flavoring in the first place.

泰国菜受欢迎的其他理由

你有没有想过，为什么有些美食，比如印度菜和泰国菜，那么辛辣，而其他的，比如英语，那么平淡？印度和泰国是非常炎热的国家，而英国又冷又潮湿。也许答案与每种美食的气候有关？

支持这一理论的一种解释是，香料掩盖了腐败，在一个气候炎热且没有冷藏的国家，这可能会派上用场。第二种解释与细菌有关；一些科学家认为，热菜系中的香料有助于保护人类免受食物中某些细菌的侵害。事实上，越热的国家，其食谱越有可能使用能够减缓细菌生长的香料。

没错。例如，仅洋葱、大蒜、牛至和多香香料就可以杀死或抑制多达29种不同种类的食源性细菌。事实上，大多数香料在一定程度上抑制细菌。如果你想一想，这是有道理的。随着植物的进化，它们必须学会消灭寄生虫和细菌才能生存。这就是为什么他们一开始就有了独特的口味。