Another Good Reason To Go For Thai Food.

　　再给你个爱上泰国菜的理由。

　　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?

　　你是否也曾好奇，为何印度菜和泰国菜辛辣无比，而英国菜却近乎清淡无味?印度和泰国气候炎热，英国则又冷又潮，这么说来，或许每一种菜肴都和当地气候有关吧?

　　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.

　　一种解释是，辛辣香料能防腐，尤其在气候炎热又没有冰箱的国家，可备不时之需。第二种解释与细菌有关;一些科学家推测，辛辣菜肴中的香料有助杀死食物中的某几种细菌，使人们免受其害。事实上，所处地带越是炎热，食物的烹饪中越会使用辛辣香料来抑制细菌增长。

　　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.

　　说得对。比如说，洋葱、大蒜、牛至和多香果就能杀灭或抑制多达29种不同的食物细菌。实际上，辛辣香料或多或少都能抑制细菌。细想一下，这是有道理的。在进化过程中，植物必须击退寄生虫和细菌才能得以生存。辛辣香料原有的独特味道就因此而来。