吃了這么多年的“香芋味”，居然都是假的？

香芋奶茶、香芋冰淇淋、香芋蛋糕、香芋糖……誰的童年里，沒有一口淡紫色的香芋味甜滋滋？

可你有沒有想過，這熟悉的香氣，可能根本不是香芋的味道。甚至香芋和芋頭，本就不是同一種東西。

China's beloved "taro-flavored" sweets and drinks may not contain real greater yams at all, as the ingredient commonly marketed as xiangyu is often confused with taro despite being a completely different plant species.

圖源：VCG

多數人一直以為香芋就是紫色的芋頭，殊不知二者在植物學上的差別是非常大的！

From milk tea and ice cream to cakes and candies, Chinese consumers have long associated xiangyu with a sweet, pale-purple flavor. But botanically, xiangyu is not actually taro.

真正的香芋，是參（shēn）薯（dioscorea alata），屬于薯蕷（yù）科薯蕷屬，是薯蕷科薯蕷屬的植物，說出來你可能不信，它的親兄弟居然是山藥！

而我們常吃的芋頭（colocasia esculenta），是天南星科芋屬，紫薯則是旋花科番薯屬，這仨看似都是 “薯芋類”，實則八竿子打不著，植物學分類天差地別。

The real xiangyu refers to greater yam (dioscorea alata). Taro (colocasia esculenta) belongs to an entirely different plant family, while purple sweet potato is classified separately. Though similar in appearance, the three are botanically distinct root crops.

圖源：百度百科

為什么大家會把參薯叫香芋，還和芋頭混為一談？

多是因為方言俗名和商家的概念混淆。我國南方部分地區，因參薯粉糯帶香，便俗稱為“香芋”；而芋頭中部分帶淡香的品種（如荔浦芋），也被商家借機標注為“香芋”，比如電商平臺的“荔浦香芋”制品，配料表中只有荔浦芋粉，并無真正的參薯。

The confusion largely stems from regional naming habits and commercial marketing. In southern China, greater yams are often called xiangyu for their natural fragrance, while aromatic taro varieties such as Lipu taro are also sold under the same name, further blurring the distinction.

aromatic /??r??m?t?k/ 芳香的

但在國際上，參薯通常被稱為ube，而芋頭被稱為taro，兩者的界限非常清晰。

Internationally, however, the difference is clearer: Dioscorea alata is commonly known as ube, especially in Southeast Asian desserts, while colocasia esculenta is simply called taro.

那為什么我們在市面上很難見到真正的“香芋”，喝的香芋奶茶、吃的香芋泥，都和它沒啥關系？原因其實很現實，真香芋實在 “太難搞” 了！

“香芋”原產于東南亞，根據《紐約時報》去年12月的報道，菲律賓每年生產超過14000噸參薯，被認為是世界上最大的參薯生產國。雖然我國南方如廣西、廣東、福建等地有零星種植，但其產量遠無法支撐龐大的甜品市場。而且，對香芋的喜愛不只是我國，香芋是全球甜品的香餑餑。

One reason genuine greater yams are rarely used in China's dessert market is the limited supply. Native to Southeast Asia, it is widely grown in countries such as the Philippines, while cultivation in southern China remains small-scale and unable to meet rising demand for taro-flavored drinks and sweets.

圖源：紐約時報

有人可能會想：既然我吃到的不是“真香芋”，那我是不是虧了？

其實，從營養角度來看，參薯、山藥和芋頭這三者并沒有本質的優劣之分。它們都屬于優質的薯芋類食材，共同特點是富含淀粉、膳食纖維，代替部分主食對血糖友好。只要是天然、未加工的塊莖，它們都是非常健康的主食來源。

Nutrition experts say consumers need not focus too much on whether a product contains greater yams, taro or yams, as all three are nutritious root crops rich in starch and dietary fiber.

真正的 “坑” 從來不是食材替代，而是加工過程中的偷工減料和高糖高脂。買預包裝香芋產品時，一定要盯緊配料表前三位，如果是白砂糖、植物油、香芋風味粉打頭，那妥妥是高糖高脂的加工食品；優質產品的配料表首位，必然是芋頭或者參薯。

The bigger concern is processing. Many packaged "taro-flavored" products are high in sugar and fat, relying on artificial flavoring rather than real root ingredients, making ingredient labels key to informed choices.

奶茶中豐富的配料用英語怎么說？一起來看看吧！

仙草：grass jelly

椰果： coconut jelly

西米：sago

紅豆：red beans

糯米： sticky rice

薄荷： peppermint

覆盆子（山莓）：raspberry

椰子：coconut

香草：vanilla

焦糖：caramel

杜肉桂： cinnamon dolce

太妃榛仁：toffee nut

榛果： hazelnut

巧克力：mocha

白巧克力：white mocha

蘆薈：aloe vera

香芋：taro

燒仙草：herbal jelly

麻薯：mochi

燕麥：oats

奧利奧: oreo

點奶茶時，糖量和冰量又該如何表達呢？

糖量

customise：定制，按顧客的要求定做

half sugar：半糖

sugar free：無糖

full sugar 全糖

less sugar 80%少糖

quarter sugar 微糖

sugar-free 無糖

冰量

no ice: 去冰

half ice: 少冰

normal 100%正常冰

room temperature 常溫

less ice 少冰

quarter ice 微冰

ice-free 去冰

warm 溫

hot 熱

你喜歡什么香芋風味的食物嘛？歡迎在評論區和我們一起分享！

來源：外研社 科普中國

跟著China Daily

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