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Have you ever wondered why some cuisines, like Indian and Thai, are so spicy and others, like English, are so bland?
你是否也曾好奇，為何印度菜和泰國菜辛辣無比，而英國菜卻近乎清淡無味？
Let's see,India and Thailand are very hot countries,while England is cold and damp.
印度和泰國氣候炎熱，英國則又冷又潮，這么說來，或許每一種菜肴都和當地氣候有關吧？
So the answer has something to do with the climate associated with each cuisine?
每一種菜肴都和當地氣候有關？
Yes,it sure does.
是的，當然。
The first one is spices mask spoilage, and in a country with a hot climate and without refrigeration, that can come in handy.
一種解釋是，辛辣香料能防腐，尤其在氣候炎熱又沒有冰箱的國家，可備不時之需。
Some scientists suggest that the spices in hot cuisines help protect humans from certain kinds of bacteria found in food.
一些科學家推測，辛辣菜肴中的香料有助殺死食物中的某幾種細菌，使人們免受其害。
In fact, the hotter the country, the more likely it is that its recipes will use the kind of spices that slow down the growth of bacteria.
事實上，所處地帶越是炎熱，食物的烹飪中越會使用辛辣香料來抑制細菌增長。
You mean some ingredients can slow down the growth of bacteria?
你的意思是一些原材料可以抑制細菌增長
That's right.
是這樣的。
For example, onion, garlic, oregano and all spice alone all kill or inhibit up to twenty-nine different kinds food-borne bacteria.
說得對。比如說，洋蔥、大蒜、牛至和多香果就能殺滅或抑制多達29種不同的食物細菌。
In fact, most spices inhibit bacteria to some extent.
實際上，辛辣香料或多或少都能抑制細菌。
And if you think about it, this makes sense.
細想一下，這是有道理的。
As plants evolved, they had to learn to fight off parasites and bacteria in order to survive.
在進化過程中，植物必須擊退寄生蟲和細菌才能得以生存。
That's how they got their distinctive flavoring in the first place.
辛辣香料原有的獨特味道就因此而來。
