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A taste of romance
浪漫的味道
Human recognition of the complex relationship between food and love might be universal. This is exemplified by American novelist Richard Ford's quote, "the way to many an honest heart lies through the belly".
美食和愛情之間複雜的關係，可能是人類的一個普世認知。美國小說家理查德·福特的名言是一個例證：「飽腹是通往赤誠之心的道路。」
A Chinese equivalent: "If you want to seize a man's heart, then seize his stomach first."
中國也有一個對應的諺語：「想要抓住男人的心，先抓住他的胃。」
Literally, that is how an unconventional romance in Delicacies Destiny — a Chinese food-themed romantic comedy — is captivating audiences in the country.
毫不誇張地說，這就是《珍饈記》——一部以中國美食為主題的非傳統浪漫愛情喜劇吸引國內觀眾的原因。
Rolling out with a light-hearted tune, the fictional series, set in ancient China, is about Ling Xiaoxiao, a talented cook who aspires to become the best royal chef in the palace. Impressing her examiner with a plate of fried eggs, one of the easiest dishes to cook but hard to outperform rivals, she manages to land a job in the crown prince's private kitchen. With food playing a pivotal role in the royal family, ranging from fostering the loyalty of the emperor's favorite general, to reuniting estranged princes, the female protagonist helps the crown prince to solve a string of crises and finally wins his heart.
這部以中國古代為背景的虛構電視劇在輕鬆的旋律中展開，講述了一位才華橫溢的廚娘凌小小立志成為「天下第一御廚」的故事。她用一盤炒雞蛋給主考官留下了深刻的印象。炒雞蛋是最容易做的菜之一，越是簡單越難勝過對手，凌小小便憑着這道菜成功進宮當了御廚。食物在皇室中扮演着舉足輕重的角色，從鞏固皇帝最喜愛的將軍的忠心，到重新團結疏遠的王爺，女主角幫助太子解決了一連串的危機，並最終贏得了他的心。
He Ruixian, a young actress who plays Ling, describes her role as "straightforward, brave and intransigent", that of a brave heroine who battles against societal bias to pursue her culinary dream.
飾演凌小小的年輕女演員何瑞賢認為，她飾演的角色「直率、勇敢、不妥協」，是一位勇敢的女主人公，她與社會偏見作鬥爭，追求自己的烹飪夢想。
As the story is set in the imperial era, when women were given a lower social status than men and had few opportunities to get educated or work outside the home — the character resists family pressure and follows her heart, reflecting a woman's power that can resonate with a modern audience, He says.
這個故事設定在君主制時期，當時女性的社會地位低於男性，幾乎沒有機會接受教育或離家工作。何瑞賢稱，她飾演的角色抵抗家庭壓力，追隨內心，反映了女性的力量，能夠與現代觀眾產生共鳴。
A common practice for movie and TV drama cast and crew members is to eat on set, which is known as "he fan", or takeaway food in China.
影視劇演員和劇組成員常在片場吃「盒飯」，中國的外賣。
He and fellow cast members were treated to "royal-level" menus designed for the drama, which she says also made her understand more about Chinese culinary culture. The actress, who graduated from the Beijing Film Academy, says the delicacies featured in the drama represent a distinctive Chinese understanding of the relationship between people and food.
在這部劇中，何瑞賢和她的同事吃的則是「皇家級」菜品。她表示，這也讓她更加了解中國的烹飪文化。這位畢業於北京電影學院的女演員說，劇中的美食代表了中國人對人與食物關係的獨特理解。
"A precious dinner can be a feast, with colorful ingredients and lavish tableware, but also a simple meal, like bao'er fan (fried rice wrapped in Chinese cabbage) as shown in the drama," she says.
何瑞賢說：「一頓美味的晚餐可以是一場配以五顏六色的食材和豪華餐具的盛宴，但也可以是簡單的一餐，比如劇中的包兒飯（包在生菜里的拌飯）。」
"The taste of food also depends on who you are eating with — a caring family or intimate friends or just by yourself to enjoy a quiet moment."
「食物的味道也取決於和誰一起吃飯，例如和關心你的家人、親密的朋友，或是自己一個人享受安靜的時光。」
A graduate from the Central Academy of Drama, actor Wang Xingyuan plays the crown prince, also marking his first time in a food-themed comedy.
畢業於中央戲劇學院的演員王星越飾演太子，這也是他第一次主演美食輕喜劇。
The "top challenge" for Wang's role, where a lot of scenes show him sitting at a dining table to taste different kinds of food, was to avoid putting on weight, Wang says. He adds that he, too, learned more about Chinese culinary culture from experts during filming.
王星越表示，自己面臨的「最大挑戰」是避免體重增加。很多場景里，他都坐在餐桌旁品嘗不同類型的美食。在拍攝期間，他也從專家那裡學到了很多關於中國烹飪文化的知識。
"They gave a detailed introduction to the history of most of the dishes, which have seen their recipes passed on for centuries. From preparing the ingredients to the time needed to cook and how to set the table, they covered different aspects, and to some extent, they reflected Chinese people's attitude toward life," says Wang.
王星越說：「專家們從準備食材、烹飪時長到如何擺餐桌等不同方面詳細介紹了這些美食的歷史，它們的食譜已經流傳了幾個世紀。在某種程度上，這些美食反映了中國人對生活的態度。」
Wang says he wants the drama to reach more foreign audiences to raise their interest in traditional Chinese cuisine.
王星越希望這部劇能吸引更多的外國觀眾，提升他們對中國傳統美食的興趣。
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編輯：朱迪齊
記者：徐帆
實習生：張夕
錄音：Stephanie Stone
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