Taste of Anhui徽味安徽

Both dishes are famous — or infamous — for their powerful smell. Stinky mandarin fish is fermented fish from Anhui; Surströmming is fermented Baltic herring from Sweden, so pungent it is usually opened outdoors. Their shared lesson: what smells "wrong" in one culture can taste like a delicacy in another.

两者都因气味而"臭名昭著"。臭鳜鱼是安徽的发酵鳜鱼，瑞典鲱鱼罐头是波罗的海腌鲱鱼，气味强烈到常在户外开罐。它们的共同启示：在一个文化里"闻起来不对劲"的食物，可能是另一个文化里的美味。

Mold usually means spoilage — but in the right hands it becomes flavor. Anhui's hairy tofu grows a soft white mold; France's Roquefort is veined with blue-green Penicillium roqueforti. Both turn humble ingredients into delicacies through controlled fermentation.

霉菌通常意味着变质，但运用得当却成就风味。徽州毛豆腐长出白色菌丝，法国洛克福蓝纹奶酪则由洛克福青霉形成蓝绿纹路。两者都以可控发酵化平凡为珍馐。

A whole bird, golden and fragrant, is the centerpiece of celebration in both cultures. Fuliji chicken anchors banquets and gift-giving in Anhui; roast turkey is the heart of Thanksgiving in America. Both symbolize abundance, family, and sharing.

一只色泽金黄、香气四溢的整只禽鸟，是两种文化里节庆宴席的主角。符离集烧鸡是安徽宴席与馈赠的常客，烤火鸡则是美国感恩节的核心。二者都象征丰盛、家庭与分享。

A steaming bowl of soup is a universal comfort food. Huainan beef soup is a hearty breakfast that warms the morning; French onion soup, with its caramelized onions and melted cheese, is a bistro classic that warms the evening. Different hours, same comfort.

一碗热汤是跨越文化的慰藉。淮南牛肉汤是温暖清晨的丰盛早餐，法式洋葱汤以焦糖洋葱与融化的奶酪成为温暖夜晚的经典。时段不同，慰藉相同。

Legend says that when the statesman Li Hongzhang visited America in 1896, his chef tossed leftovers into a mixed stew that Americans dubbed "chop suey." True or not, the story captures how Chinese cooking adapted to the West — and how this dish became a symbol of cultural exchange. (Photo: a portrait of Li Hongzhang, since the dish itself is rarely photographed.)

相传 1896 年李鸿章访美时，厨师将剩余食材烩成一锅，被美国人称作"杂烩"（chop suey）。传说真假难辨，但它道出了中餐如何适应西方，以及这道菜如何成为文化交流的象征。（配图为李鸿章肖像，因这道菜本身鲜有实拍照片。）

Huizhou Yipin Pot layers meats, tofu, vegetables and dumplings in one clay pot and simmers everything together for the whole table to share — its most famous version is the "Hu Shih Pot" beloved by the scholar Hu Shih. Swiss cheese fondue melts cheese with wine in a single pot, into which everyone dips bread. Both are social by design: the food is good, but the real dish is togetherness.

徽州一品锅将肉类、豆腐、蔬菜层层码入砂锅同炖，供全桌共享——最著名的变体是学者胡适钟爱的"胡适一品锅"。瑞士奶酪火锅则用一口锅融化奶酪与白葡萄酒，众人以面包蘸食。两道菜生来就是为了分享：食物固然美味，真正的佳肴却是相聚。