20240829|南亚与芒果的千年之恋

Culture

文艺版块

World in a dish

盘中世界

Beneath the (ap)peal

果皮（美味吸引力）之下

South Asia's long love affair with mangoes.

南亚与芒果的千年之恋。

"Hindustan is a country of few charms," observed Zahiruddin Muhammad Babur, after conquering India in the 16th century.

“印度斯坦是一个没有魅力的国家，”扎希尔丁·穆罕默德·巴布尔在16世纪征服印度后评价道。（注：印度斯坦是古代对整个印度半岛的称呼。）

The founder of the Mughal empire was unimpressed by the handicrafts, horses, markets, people-and especially the fruit.

这位莫卧儿帝国的开国者对印度的手工艺品、马匹、市场、人民都没有留下特别的印象，尤其认为水果平平无奇。

He complained constantly about the lack of decent melons.

他不停地抱怨那里没有像样的瓜果。

But even grumpy Babur could not deny the pleasures of mangoes, which "when good, are very good".

但即使是脾气暴躁的巴布尔也无法否认芒果的美味，“好吃的芒果味道非常好”。

The mango, he concluded, is "the best fruit of Hindustan".

他总结道，芒果是“印度斯坦最好的水果”。

The people of the subcontinent would go further, declaring it the finest in the world.

印度次大陆的人民会更进一步，宣称芒果是全世界最好的水果。（注：印度次大陆包括印度、巴基斯坦、孟加拉国。）

It is the national fruit of both India and Pakistan.

芒果是印度和巴基斯坦的国果。

Every region has a favourite variety, from the sublime Alphonso of western India to the sophisticated Dasheri of the north, sparking interminable arguments about which is best.

每个地区都有自己最爱的品种，从印度西部风味浓郁的阿方索芒果，到印度北部口感细腻的达谢里芒果，人们没完没了地争论哪种芒果最好。

(There is no wrong answer.)

（没有错误答案。）

Mango is used as an ingredient in chutney, daal, ice-cream, juice, sherbets and more.

芒果被用作酸辣酱、扁豆汤、冰淇淋、果汁、冰糕等食物的原料。

But mostly it is eaten alone: ripe, golden, with its juices trickling down the arms.

但芒果主要还是单独食用：成熟的金黄色芒果，（咬一口）汁液就顺着手臂流淌下来。

The mango is a gift of love, a lubricant for dealmaking, a plausibly deniable bribe, a reward, an indulgence and a necessity.

芒果是表达爱的礼物，是交易的润滑剂，是可以合理抵赖的贿赂，是奖励，是享受，也是必需品。

It is part of the very essence of being Indian-or Pakistani.

这是印度人——或者巴基斯坦人的本质的一部分。

That makes it a potent tool of diplomacy.

这使芒果成为一种强有力的外交工具。

Indian leaders have presented crates to American presidents, Pakistanis to Chairman Mao and the Indian prime minister.

印度领导人向美国总统赠送过成箱的芒果，巴基斯坦人向毛主席和印度总理赠送过。

Sheikh Hasina, who was recently driven from power in Bangladesh, once sent India 2,600 kg of mangoes as a "memento of friendship".

孟加拉国总理谢赫·哈西娜最近被逼下台，她曾经给印度送去了2600公斤芒果作为“友谊的纪念品”。

Although trade between India and Pakistan is paltry, mangoes are permitted to cross the border.

虽然印度和巴基斯坦之间的贸易微乎其微，但芒果被允许跨越边境。

However, most of South Asia's mangoes stay at home.

然而，南亚的大部分芒果都留在了国内。

India is the world's biggest mango producer, with volumes greater than the next nine growers combined, according to Tridge, a data firm.

印度是世界上最大的芒果生产国，据数据公司Tridge称，其产量超过了后面九个种植国的总和。

Yet its share of the global export market by value is a meagre 7%.

然而，按价值计算，印度在全球芒果出口市场的份额仅为微不足道的7%。

Mexico , which produces a tenth as much as India, accounts for a quarter.

墨西哥的产量是印度的十分之一，出口份额却占了四分之一。

The reasons are many, writes Sopan Joshi in "Mangifera Indica", a new book about mangoes.

原因有很多，索潘·乔希在一本关于芒果的新书《杧果》中写道。（注：Mangifera Indica是芒果的拉丁学名。）

Chief among them are the delicate nature of the fruit, poor growing practices in India and strict standards in Western markets.

其中最主要的原因是芒果易受损、印度的不良种植方式以及西方市场的严格标准。

No one is sure how many mango varieties exist, but India probably has around 1,000.

没有人确切知道存在多少种芒果品种，但印度可能有大约1000种。

This is the West's loss.

这是西方的损失。

If Americans and Europeans are not besotted by mangoes, it is because they have tasted only the more mediocre produce of Mexico and Brazil.

如果美国人与欧洲人不痴迷于芒果，那是因为他们只品尝过来自墨西哥和巴西的较为普通的芒果。

That may be starting to change: the volume of India's official mango shipments to America in 2023 was up a fifth on the previous year, to over 2,000 tonnes.

这种情况可能开始发生变化：2023年印度官方运往美国的芒果数量比前一年增加了五分之一，数量为2000多吨。

America is also providing grading and sorting machines to Pakistan to boost exports.

美国还向巴基斯坦提供分级和分拣机器，以促进出口。

The mango, as every South Asian knows, is as much about social bonds as about flavour.

正如每个南亚人所知，芒果不仅关乎味道，也关乎社会纽带。

A fruit this fine demands to be shared.

如此美味的水果，值得与世人分享。