VOA慢速英语2018--亚洲菜在美国飞速增长

Asian Cuisine¹ Fastest-Growing in U.S.

Asian food is the fastest-growing cuisine in the United States.

Between 1999 and 2015, sales of Asian fast food rose 135 percent, beating Latin and Middle Eastern cuisines². That information comes from market research firm Euromonitor.

Several things are pushing this growth, says Andrew Coe. He wrote the 2009 book Chop Suey: A Cultural History of Chinese Food in the United States.

“A big change began in 1965 with the passage of the [Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965]. That opened the door for a lot of immigrants from Asian countries,” he said. “There are a lot more Asians from different countries, and they brought their food with them.”

A Pew Research Center report says there were 20 million Asian-Americans in 2017. That is an increase of 72 percent since 2000, making the Asian population the fastest-growing group in the country.

Coe said there are other reasons for Asian food’s sharp rise in popularity³.

“American business is involved with every country in the world, and we’re very aware of other countries and cultures,” he said. “We’re interested in the things they eat — a lot more interested than we used to be.”

He noted⁴ that younger people are more willing to try new foods.

“Look at Korean. No one thought it would be hip⁵. Now, it’s hip,” he said. Coe added that, with immigration, “we have those people here who can prepare the food correctly.”

Worldwide, about 90 percent of Asian restaurants are small and independent. But in the United States, large restaurant chains make up about 50 percent of sales of Asian cuisine. Panda Express is one example. It had $2 billion in sales in 2014, The Washington Post reported.

J. Sullivan is the head cook for Pei Wei Asian Diner, an Asian "fast casual" restaurant. The first Pei Wei opened in 2000. There are now more than 200 locations across the U.S.

Sullivan said Chinese food has been here long enough that people - especially younger people - are very familiar with it.

His first experience with Asian cuisine was 18 years ago. “I remember being blown away by not only unlocking⁶ the mysteries of Chinese food, but also exposure to Southeast Asian cuisine,” he said.

He added that people now want to eat healthier. Many kinds of Asian food are thought to be healthy because of the high amount of fresh ingredients and vegetables. But traditional American cuisine has very large servings and is heavy on protein and starch⁷, Sullivan added.

He noted, however, that many favorite Asian dishes are full of calories. He said that is something he is trying to change.

Sullivan said that, thanks to the internet, Asian food recipes are more available than ever. And as the Asian population in America grows, more and more stores are selling key Asian ingredients that used to be hard to find. And if there is not an Asian market nearby, many ingredients are available online.

Sullivan also said Asian influences are affecting non-Asian food. He said more and more people come from a mix of cultures, so mixing cuisines is normal. Korean tacos, a popular dish, are just one example.

I’m Alice Bryant.

Words in This Story

aware – adj. knowing that something, such as a situation, condition, or problem, exists

hip – adj. very popular or fashionable

chain – n. a group of businesses, such as restaurants, that have the same name and basic appearance and sell the same products or services

ingredient – n. one of the things that are used to make a food or product

starch – n. a substance that is found in certain foods, such as bread, rice, and potatoes

calorie – n. a unit of heat used to indicate the amount of energy that foods will produce in the human body

1 cuisine   

n.烹调，烹饪法

参考例句：

• This book is the definitive guide to world cuisine.这本书是世界美食的权威指南。
• This restaurant is renowned for its cuisine.这家餐馆以其精美的饭菜而闻名。

2 cuisines   

n.烹饪( cuisine的名词复数 )；菜肴；（通常指昂贵的饭店中的）饭菜；烹饪艺术

参考例句：

• Could you tell me the different features of these cuisines? 能不能告诉我这些不同的烹调流派各自有哪些特点？ 来自地道口语脱口SHOW 高中超越版
• Ice sculptures are used as decorations in some cuisines, especially in Asia. 冰雕在某些菜肴中被当作装饰品，尤其在亚洲。 来自互联网

3 popularity   

n.普及，流行，名望，受欢迎

参考例句：

• The story had an extensive popularity among American readers.这本小说在美国读者中赢得广泛的声望。
• Our product enjoys popularity throughout the world.我们的产品饮誉全球。

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 hip   

n.臀部，髋；屋脊

参考例句：

• The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。
• The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line.新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。

6 unlocking   

n.接通，开放，解锁v.开锁( unlock的现在分词 )；开启；揭开；开着，解开

参考例句：

• Unlocking DaVinci's Code separates the facts from the fiction. 《解开达西密码》将事实与小说区隔开来。 来自常春藤生活英语杂志-2006年5月号
• All of these questions will be answered on Unlocking DaVinci's Code. 这些问题将于《解开达文西密码》中一一解答。 来自常春藤生活英语杂志-2006年5月号

7 starch   

n.淀粉；vt.给...上浆

参考例句：

• Corn starch is used as a thickener in stews.玉米淀粉在炖煮菜肴中被用作增稠剂。
• I think there's too much starch in their diet.我看是他们的饮食里淀粉太多了。