2011年7月4日 星期一

皮蛋最噁?CNN公民記者向台灣道歉

美國有線電視新聞網(CNN)的「公民記者」專區iReport,選出全球「最噁心」(revolting)食物,皮蛋以外型怪異、味道嚇人等特色而上榜。造成「皮蛋風波」的公民記者郝瓦達(Danny Holwerda),四日投書給台北時報(Taipei Times)澄清,強調他並不知道CNN會把他個人看法,列入「全球最噁心食物」專題,他的報導從頭到尾未批評台灣,也沒有批評台灣的食物或台灣人,如果造成困擾,他要向台灣民眾致歉。

郝瓦達今年四月在德州的亞洲市場買皮蛋試吃,發現口味實在不合。他說:「太恐怖了!吃起來就像魔鬼煮的蛋。這吃起來像是曾經是蛋,但是誤入歧途錯得離譜的東西!」

他在寄給CNN的影片中,直接把切好的皮蛋送進嘴中,然後忍不住吐了出來,一旁的小孩子看了狂笑。CNN後來把各地寄來的相關影片整理後,把皮蛋列為比菲律賓巴拉旺樹蟲、南韓狗肉、柬埔寨的炸狼蛛、菲律賓的炸青蛙還噁心的食物。

影片上網後,馬上有網友留言說,皮蛋就像起司一樣,風味獨特,是許多華人的最愛,單吃、沾醬油、加在稀飯裡,幾種吃法都很讚。

新聞刊出後,引來的謾罵聲更大。郝瓦達在投書中表示,惹出這麼大的風波,他始料未及。他被全球網友狂罵,收到很多email罵他是傲慢的種族主義者,其中一封罵美國人是「有可怕飲食習慣的肥胖仇視外國者」,但這還只是最客氣的;另外還有一位台灣美食部落客罵他「荒謬可笑」,而一位民進黨政治人物(立委田秋堇)也反擊稱「美國人太膽小」。

投書台灣媒體盼終止困擾

郝瓦達希望這封信能終止整件事造成的困擾,並表示他住在加州的教母,就是台灣人。他強調,他的影片只是要表達吃皮蛋的有趣經驗。雖然他個人不喜歡皮蛋,但並不意味他不尊敬台灣人或台灣文化;而且認識他的人都知道,他很愛吃傳統中國及台灣美食,他的夢想之一,就是能親自訪問台灣並享受當地的珍饈美食。

信中也提到,他可能沒有以正確方式食用皮蛋,或許要像美食評論家陶禮君所說的,要加點調味料才行。

 

新聞來源:YAHOO!奇摩新聞

1 則留言:

  1. [ LETTER ]

    Thrown into the frying pan

    In regards to an article that recently appeared in your newspaper about an American blogger — and as the actual blogger mentioned in the article — I would like to add my two cents about the backstory (“American blogger on CNN sparks ‘pi dan’ brouhaha,” July 1, page 4).

    I need to explain that I originally posted my CNN iReport video about trying to eat a pi dan in April, after CNN asked readers to send in video stories about the most revolting foods they had ever eaten anywhere in the world. Since I had just tried to eat “century eggs” that I had purchased at a local Asian supermarket here in Texas, I sent in a brief iReport on the subject.

    Fast forward to this month and I can report that my blog has received more traffic than ever. However, people in Taiwan should know that CNN, on its own initiative, added my April iReport to a special section about the world’s most disgusting foods and my report about century eggs was the first one on the list. It is important to note that I never once mentioned “Taiwan” in my video report, nor did I ever criticize Taiwanese foods or Taiwanese. In fact, my godmother who lives in California is Taiwanese.

    So, imagine my surprise when I saw the Taipei Times article online, translated from the Liberty Times, calling me all sorts of names, with one Taiwanese food blogger calling me “ridiculous,” and a Democratic Progressive Party politician even going so far as to say that “Americans are chicken-hearted” and apparently lumping me into that bracket.

    I also received many angry e-mails and comments from people calling Americans “fat xenophobes with terrible dietary habits.”

    And that was one of the nicer comments.

    So I want to apologize to the people of Taiwan if my video caused a brouhaha. That was never my intention. Although I did not enjoy the pi dan, I meant no disrespect to Taiwanese or their culture. If you knew me, you would know that I like to eat traditional Chinese and Taiwanese food very much and it is one of my dreams to visit Taiwan someday and see — and taste — your country’s culinary delights.

    The response last week to my CNN video was like riding a roller coaster. I went from the initial excitement of having my blog mentioned on CNN to the experience of being vilified on international discussion boards, denounced by a Taiwanese legislator and receiving e-mails calling me “an ignorant racist” and worse.

    All I was trying to do with my pi dan story was to present something that I felt was fun. To those critics in Taiwan who got so angry at me for not being able to stomach century eggs from my kitchen in Texas, I hope they can gain some perspective now. It is not like I committed an act of violence. My sin was trying some strange-tasting eggs and not enjoying them.

    Okay, maybe I did not eat pi dan the correct way. Taiwanese food critic Tao Li-jun (陶禮君) said I probably had eaten the century egg without any condiments. Guilty as charged. Had I known what I know now, thanks to Tao, I would have prepared the pi dan with diced scallion, sesame oil or soy sauce. And to Taiwanese gastronomist Fei Chi (費奇), maybe she is right that the reason I did not enjoy my first experience with a century egg from an Asian supermarket was because I did not know how to appreciate its taste.

    Now I know better and if I get a chance to visit Taiwan in the future, I will look forward to sampling some real pi dan dishes prepared by real Taiwanese chefs.

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