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Healthy snacks in Japan
日本健康零食
The joy of soy
黃豆歡歌
Defying Western food imperialism
小黃豆不畏西餐帝國主義
If you want to learn how to live longer, look at the people of Okinawa, a string of islands in south-western Japan. Raised on a diet of fish and soyabeans, their life expectancy is among the highest on Earth. There is a natural control group; many Okinawans fled to Brazil and Hawaii after the second world war, where they switched to a meatier diet of steaks and burgers. All have been studied regularly by Japanese researchers over the past three decades to prove that a soya-rich diet can prolong life. Now it is time for the taste test: can a healthy bag of soya nibbles sweep the fatty potato snack off the table?
想知道延緩衰老的秘籍，不妨學學沖繩島的原住民。沖繩島群島位于日本西南部，島上居民自古以魚和大豆為食，平均期望壽命居全球之首。二戰結束后，許多沖繩人逃亡至巴西和夏威夷，飲食習慣也入鄉隨俗，改為以牛排和漢堡為主的肉食；這些沖繩人便成了天然的對照組。日本研究學家為證明富含黃豆的飲食能延緩衰老，在過去的30年里一直對兩組人群做定期研究。如今到了測試口味的時候：健康小黃豆是否能取代高脂土豆零食，成為桌上新寵？
Kaoru Yamada, a young food specialist at Otsuka Pharmaecutical, a Japanese drug company, has risen to the challenge. She dislikes the taste of soya, so she invented a lightly baked soya pastry that tastes of cheese, is crispy, has soyabeans rattling inside it and can sit on a desk—or even on a bar—for months without going soggy. Called SoyCarat, her creation went on sale in Japan this month. Otsuka, which also produces a big-selling health drink called Pocari Sweat, sees it as part of a counter-offensive against Western snacks that are making Asians fatter.
日本大塚制藥株式會社的青年食物專家山田薰已著手應戰。山田小姐因為不喜歡黃豆的味道，故特意研發出了一款奶酪味黃豆酥。這款名為SoyCarat的黃豆酥經低溫烘焙而成，內含嘎吱黃豆，口感松脆。在臺面或柜臺上存放數月也不會受潮變軟。山田小姐的新發明將于本月在日本上市。亞洲人在西式零食的影響下日趨肥胖，生產熱銷運動飲料寶礦力的大塚制藥則將SoyCarat視作西式零食大反攻行動的一部分。
The science is compelling: research, albeit part-sponsored by Otsuka, suggests that eating soya protein quickly lowers blood pressure, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. The company notes that the average American eats less soya in a year than the average Japanese eats in a day. Otsuka is not alone in Japan in trying to use science to sell consumer products: for instance, Uniqlo, a clothes retailer, sells hi-tech underwear that it says makes sweat dry quicker.
科學研究顯示，攝入大豆蛋白能迅速降低血壓、減少心血管疾病發病率。雖然大塚制藥是該研究發起人之一，但科學研究總能令人信服。公司指出，日本人日均大豆食用量高于美國人年均攝入量。在日本，利用科學研究推銷產品的公司大有人在，大塚制藥絕非獨家——服裝零售商優衣庫就在推銷一款號稱能超速吸汗的高科技內衣。
But the marketing may be a problem. Sophisticated diners insist that soya is scrumptious, but others vehemently disagree. Gary Larson, a cartoonist, once drew three disgusted lionesses spitting out the wobbly flesh of “a tofudebeest—one of the Serengeti’s obnoxious health antelopes”. It struck a chord.
然而，將新產品推向市場或將不會一帆風順。精明的食客們堅稱豆制品美味至極，但其他人卻強烈反對。漫畫家加里.拉爾森（Gary Larson）畫過這樣一幅漫畫：三頭母獅們厭惡的相繼吐出口中搖晃著的塊塊鮮肉，因為它們捕到的是“塞倫蓋蒂最令人作嘔的健康羚羊——豆腐羚”。該漫畫引發了公眾的強烈共鳴。
SoyCarat’s brand name is tricky: whatever the spelling, it evokes the idea of two things children shun and adults munch only reluctantly. Perhaps it should be portrayed as something laid back and Okinawan instead, like a bar snack. After all, what could be better than a life-enhancing glass of Orion beer in one hand, and a life-extending bag of soya snacks in the other?
SoyCarat這個品牌名本身就很復雜——無論soy和carat怎樣組合，總會讓人想起“黃豆”和“克拉”這兩種小孩避而遠之，大人勉強食之的東西?；蛟S應該將它描述成具有沖繩風情，在酒吧吃的那種休閑小零食。畢竟，還有什么能比一杯增加生命寬度的Orion啤酒，一袋增加生命長度的黃豆小食更愜意的呢？ 翻譯：王葭葦
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