CNN称它“汤中的榴梿”：以工业思维冲出柳州，风靡世界！
提要
11月9日，CNN （美国有线电视新闻网）在其官网首页报道《Unusual foods often gain cult followings（“汤中的榴梿”如何成为中国最时髦的小吃）》，介绍了“汤中的榴梿”柳州螺蛳粉是如何成为中国最时髦的小吃。
(CNN) — Unusual foods often gain cult followings.
But it's rare for an odorous dish to become a national favorite, which is exactly what's happened with luosifen, now one of the hottest food trends in China.
Just like the notorious durian fruit, this snail-based rice noodle soup dish has created a buzz on Chinese social media thanks to its infamous smell. While some claim the scent is mildly sour, others say it should be classed as a bioweapon.
Luosifen originated in Liuzhou, a city in China's north-central Guangxi autonomous province. It features rice vermicelli soaked in a spicy broth, topped with locally grown ingredients including bamboo shoots, string beans, turnips, peanuts and tofu skin.
Despite having the word "snail" in its Chinese name, actual snails don't commonly appear in the dish, but are used to flavor the broth.
"It only takes three bowls to get you hooked," Ni Diaoyang, head of the Liuzhou Luosifen Association and director of the Luosifen Museum in the city, tells CNN Travel proudly.
For a Liuzhou local like Ni, beyond the initial stench, a bowl of luosifen is a delicious concoction with rich and complicated flavors -- sour, spicy, savory and succulent.
In the past, it would have been hard for non-locals to share Ni's enthusiasm for this strange regional dish -- or even to try it. But luosifen's magic has unexpectedly spilled beyond its birthplace and overtaken the entire country, thanks to a DIY ready-to-eat form.
Pre-packaged luosifen -- which many describe as the "luxury version of instant noodles" -- usually comes with eight or more ingredients in vacuum-sealed packets.
Sales soared in 2019, leading it to become one of the best-selling regional snacks on Chinese e-commerce sites like Taobao. State media reported 2.5 million luosifen packets were produced daily in June 2020.
"The pre-packaged luosifen is truly a special product," says Min Shi, product manager of Penguin Guide, a leading Chinese food review site.
"I have to say it has an impressive consistency and quality control in flavors -- even better than some local store made ones," she adds.
Global brands like KFC are also latching onto this huge food trend. This month, the fast food giant rolled out new take-away products -- including packaged luosifen -- to appeal to young eaters in China.
译文如下——
“汤中的榴梿”如何成为中国最时髦的小吃
非同寻常的食物常受到狂热追捧。但“有臭味”的食品成为全国宠儿，并不多见。这就是螺蛳粉引发的现象，它已成中国最流行的食品热潮之一，还在社交媒体上引发轰动。
螺蛳粉起源于广西柳州，主要由浸泡在辛辣肉汤中的米粉组成，辅以酸笋、酸豆角、萝卜干、花生和腐竹等配料。过去，非本地人很难分享对这种奇怪美食的热爱，甚至鲜有机会吃到。但在一种DIY即食方式预包装的推动下，螺蛳粉的魅力出人预料地冲出起源地并风靡全国，成为电商网站上最畅销的地方小吃之一。据媒体6月份报道，柳州螺蛳粉的日均产量已超250万袋。业内人士说，预包装的螺蛳粉在风味方面具有令人印象深刻的一致性和质量管控水平，甚至比一些当地门店的产品还要好。螺蛳粉热还受到视频流行文化的助推。肯德基等全球餐饮巨头也紧跟流行趋势，已推出包括螺蛳粉在内的新外卖，以吸引中国年轻食客。尽管新冠疫情几乎摧毁全世界的餐馆，这场危机却成为中国螺蛳粉制造商们的福音。兰州拉面和沙县小吃等地方特色小吃已通过连锁店等方式走向全中国。早在前几年，柳州当地生产商就在酝酿将螺蛳粉推向其他地方。但在最初的大力宣传和政府推动下，在中国多个城市开设有关门店，但销售状况欠佳。2014年柳州企业家们有了新主意：大规模生产螺蛳粉并将其包装起来。随着更多螺蛳粉厂家如雨后春笋般涌现，柳州市政府开始监管生产并为达标工厂发放生产许可证。政府的努力已在食品加工、杀菌和包装等领域带来更多研究和技术升级。专家说，在发明螺蛳粉包装方面，柳州人借用了这座城市的“工业思维”。风靡全中国后，如今螺蛳粉正在世界其他地方圈粉。经过包装的螺蛳粉已被销往100多个国家和地区。柳州当地商务部门表示，今年（经该市海关监管出口的）螺蛳粉骤增。1月至8月，螺蛳粉的国际销售额达到310万美元，是2019年全年出口总值的22.5倍。全文翻译来自“环球网”——
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来源：柳州市委外宣办微信“画卷柳州（huajuanLZ）”综合CNN、环球网、芒果TV
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