中国人方便面记忆 味蕾上的温情

Growing up in China as a kid, my childhood smelled like instant noodles.

作为一个在中国长大的孩子，我的童年回忆起来充满了方便面的味道。

It is no secret that many Asians love eating instant noodles. It is a dried noodle block; all you need to do is to pour hot water over the par-cooked noodles, add the flavoring powder and some seasoning oil, wait for 2-3 minutes, and then it is ready. It usually comes with a strong smell that fills up the whole house.

很多亚洲人都爱吃方便面，这已经不是秘密了。它是一种干面块，你只需要在这已经熟了的面块上冲上开水，加上调味包和酱包，等上两到三分钟，就可以开吃了。通常，泡面浓浓的气味会弥漫整个房间。

It was invented by a Japanese man in 1958 during the food shortages in the post-war period. Thanks to its convenience and taste, this quick and easy meal soon became a global food.

1958年，由于战后食物匮乏时期，一个日本人发明出了方便面。由于它方便又味美，很快就风靡全球。

China is the world's most instant noodle-loving nation. It is also the biggest consumer with people eating over 40 billion packs of instant noodles a year, about half of the world's total, according to a report in The Jakarta Post last year.

据《雅加达邮报》去年的一篇报道指出，中国是全球最爱吃方便面的国家，也是全球最大的方便面消费国，一年的时间内大约吃掉了全球一半数量的方便面--400亿包。

One of the reasons so many Chinese people love it is because it is cheap. Back in the early 1990s, one pack of huafeng, a local Chinese instant noodle, cost only half a yuan ($0.07). It was so cheap that even a kid could afford it with his or her pocket money.

这么多中国人爱吃方便面的原因之一是它很便宜。追溯到上世纪90年代，一袋华丰方便面（一个中国本土方便面品牌）售价才5毛钱（0.07美元）。它的价格如此便宜，以至于小孩拿着零花钱都买的起。

I remember when I was little, instant noodle was the only snack I had. As a kid, I loved eating the uncooked instant noodles. I just added the salt flavoring and crushed them up in the bag. Sometimes, when I got angry and wanted to destroy something, I would go to a convenience store and secretly smash all the instant noodles they had. I never got caught though.

我记得在我小时候，方便面是我仅有的零食。那时，我喜欢直接干吃方便面，加上调料粉，把它们在袋子里压碎。有时，当我生气了，想搞点什么小破坏，我就会去一个便利店，偷偷的把它们的方便面全部压碎。不过我可从来没被逮住过。

In my memory, the train in China smells like instant noodles too because almost everyone eats it on the train. "The first bite is the best," my childhood friend, who is obsessed with instant noodles, told me. "The strong smell from the just-made instant noodles is so good."

在我的记忆中，中国的火车上也满是方便面的味道，因为几乎火车上每个人都会吃它。我的发小非常痴迷于方便面，他说，“第一口吃下去感觉真好。刚泡好的方便面的那种浓香实在是让我陶醉。”

But not everyone thinks the same way. Earlier this year, instant noodles were banned from being sold on trains because the authorities said the smell is so strong that it affects the air quality inside the trains. It is not forbidden to eat it on the train though. For me, instant noodles are also banned at home because my mother sees it as junk food with no nutritional value.

不过，并非人人都这么认为。铁路部门就认为方便面的味道太大了，影响车厢内空气质量，今年初，火车上开始禁售方便面。然而，火车上还是允许吃方便面的。而对我来说，我的家里也禁吃方便面，因为妈妈认为它是垃圾食品，没有营养。

Even though there were reports saying eating too much instant noodles might cause cancer, it doesn't seem to have stopped Chinese people from eating it. In recent years, however, Chinese people are losing taste for instant noodles.

尽管有报道称吃太多的方便面会致癌，不过这并没有吓倒中国人，人们还在继续吃着。不过近年来，中国人的方便面热开始减退。

According to the Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology, from 2000 to 2010, up to 90 percent of the instant noodle companies closed in China. The reason? It is because migrant workers, the main consumer group, changed their food preferences as their income grew.

据中国食品科学技术学会的数据显示，从2000年到2010年，中国高达90%的方便面企业倒闭。原因是什么？因为随着消费方便面的最大群体——农民工的收入提高，他们的饮食习惯发生了改变。