VOA慢速英語: 甘藍：“超級食物”

Kale: The 'Super Food'

甘藍：“超級食物”

From VOA Learning English, this is the Health Report.

這是美國之音英語學習的健康報道。

To prove that there is a celebration for just about everything, October 1 officially marked National KaleDay in the United States.

為了證明能夠慶祝所有事物，10月1號正式成為美國的“國家甘藍日”。

That’s right – National Kale Day.

是的——“國家甘藍日”。

The big day of national celebration may have passed, but that does not mean you should not eat kale.

全國慶祝的日子也許已經(jīng)過去，但是并不意味著你不能吃甘藍。

First, what exactly is kale?

首先，到底什么是甘藍？

Kale is in the same family as broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage.

甘藍跟花椰菜、菜花還有洋白菜屬于同一菜類。

For people in Russia, kale is kapusta. In Italy, it is called cavolo. Hindi speakers call it gobhi. Or if you speak Japanese, the name is karu.

在俄羅斯，甘藍菜叫做kapusta；意大利，則稱之為cavolo；印度人稱之為gobhi；如果你講日語的話，甘藍菜的日語名字叫karu。

Different areas may have different names for kale, but it is a super healthy food -- whatever you call it.

不同地區(qū)的人也許對甘藍的稱呼不一樣，但是，不管你怎么叫這個菜名，甘藍是一種超級健康的食物。

In fact, in the United States, many people are calling it a “SuperFood.” That does not mean it can fly over tall buildings like Superman and rescue people. (Well, actually, maybe it does). It does keep people healthy and keeps them safe from sickness.

實際上，在美國，很多人稱甘藍為“超級食物”。并不是說它能夠像超人那樣飛越高樓大廈，拯救人們。（也許，確實能夠）它能夠讓人保持健康，遠離疾病。

Kale's health benefits

甘藍的健康益處

Kale is filled with healthy nutrients. It provides 1,000 percent of the daily recommended allowance for vitamin K. In other words, by eating kale you more than meet the nutrition requirements set by United States health officials.

甘藍富含健康營養(yǎng)成分，能夠提供1000%的維他命K，滿足人體日常所需。換句話說，吃甘藍攝入的營養(yǎng)能夠達到美國衛(wèi)生部設定的營養(yǎng)標準。

Kale also has nearly 100 percent of the daily suggested intake of both vitaminA and C. That information comes from the U.S Department of Agriculture. Kale also has folate, a B vitamin that is important for brain development. It also has many other essential vitamins and minerals. Kale is good for your heart and may help fight against some kinds of cancer.

甘藍大約含有100%的日常所需的維他命A和維他命C。這一信息來自美國農(nóng)業(yè)部。甘藍還含有葉酸——對大腦發(fā)育很重要的一種維他命B。同時還有其它一些必須的維他命和礦物質。甘藍對心臟有好處，或許還有助于抗擊一些癌癥。

So, kale is good for us. It also tastes great. And there are many ways to cook it.

因此，甘藍對我們有好處，而且味道鮮美。有好多種烹飪方法。

Cooking terms and kale recipes

烹飪術語和甘藍菜食譜

The vegetable kale can be tough or hard. But it keeps more nutrients if you don’t cook it too much. Here is a trick. Simply rub or massage the kale leaves with olive oil and seasonings. The leaves will break down and soften. The stems, or stalks, will remain tough. But you can sauté them or place them in soup for added vitamins and taste.

甘藍菜會不宜咀嚼，但是如果你烹飪時間不會太長的話，能夠保持更多營養(yǎng)價值。這兒有個小竅門。用橄欖油和調味品簡單的把橄欖葉子調拌一下，這樣葉子就會松軟。甘藍的莖還是難以咀嚼，但是你可以炒一下或者放到湯里，增加維他命和提味。

After you massage your kale, add a little more olive oil and sweet balsamic vinegar as a dressing – or your own favorite salad dressing. Add your favorite toppings for a healthy and delicious salad.

調拌甘藍后，再加一點橄欖油和甜甜的香醋作為調味品——或者添加你喜歡的沙拉調味品。添加你喜歡的調料，制作健康美味的沙拉。

Steaming kale on the stovetop is a really healthy way of cooking this leafy green vegetable. First boil a pot of water and steam the kale on top in a steamer container.

在爐灶上蒸甘藍確實是做這種綠葉蔬菜的一種健康方式。首先燒開一壺水，然后將甘藍放入蒸籠里蒸。

You can also lightly sauté kale with garlic, some hot pepper and a little salt for a simple, delicious and healthy side dish. A side dish is a smaller dish that goes with the main meal.

你也可以用大蒜、一些小辣椒、鹽巴清炒一下甘藍，弄一道簡單、美味、健康的配菜。配菜是跟主菜一起的小菜。

Sautéed kale with nuts also goes well with fish. Kale is tasty when sautéed with foods like tomatoes or red peppers.

清炒甘藍配堅果與魚搭配味道很好。甘藍與西紅柿或者紅辣椒之類的食物一起炒時味道不錯。

You can mix or drizzle kale with olive oil and bake it for 15 minutes until it gets crispy. These are called kale chips. You can also bake it on top of pizza for a healthy topping.

你可以用橄欖油調拌一下甘藍，然后烘烤15分鐘直到變酥脆，這叫炒甘藍。你還可以把甘藍放在披薩上烘烤。

So eat some of this wonderful vegetable in your next meal. Your body will thank you.

所以，你下一餐吃飯時嘗嘗這種效果奇佳的蔬菜，你的身體會感謝你的。

Do you have a special way to prepare kale? Share your recipe in our comments section. This will give you the chance to use some of the cooking terms you heard in this story.

你是否有什么特別的方式準備甘藍菜呢？在我們的評論留言區(qū)分享你的菜譜。你會有機會使用在今天的文章里聽到的烹飪方法。

I’m Anna Matteo.

我是安娜·馬特奧。