為什麼綠荳蔻這麼貴 | 昂貴之謎：英語精讀講義

Green cardamom is one of the most expensive spices in the world. 文法

綠豆蔻是世界上最昂貴的香料之一。

Just 1 kg of it can sell for $90. 片語搭配

光是1公斤就能賣到90美元。

But getting that little bit of green cardamom requires a lot of work.

但要取得這麼一點綠豆蔻，卻需要投入大量人力。

Harvesters need to collect 6 kg of these small raw pods by hand 片語搭配

採收工必須用手採下6公斤這種尚未成熟的小果莢，

to produce just 1 kg of the spice.

才能製成僅僅1公斤的香料。

So why is it so hard to grow green cardamom?

那麼，綠豆蔻為什麼這麼難種？

And is that what makes it so expensive? 文法

這是否就是它如此昂貴的原因？

Known as the queen of spices, 講解

豆蔻被譽為「香料皇后」，

cardamom comes from small oval-shaped fruits called pods,

它來自一種橢圓形的小果實，也就是豆蔻莢，

which contain several black seeds inside.

裡面含有數顆黑色種子。

Those seeds are what give green cardamom its uniquely citrusy,

正是這些種子賦予了綠豆蔻獨特的柑橘清香、

sweet flavor and aroma.

香甜風味和芬芳氣息。

The green cardamom plant grows in select regions around the world, 用詞

綠豆蔻只生長在世界上的少數地區，

but it especially thrives in India's Idukki district,

但印度伊杜基地區尤其適合它生長，

where Raja's family has grown the spice for 30 years. 文法

Raja一家已經在那裡種植這種香料30年了。

After cardamom is planted,

豆蔻種下後，

farmers must wait 3 years for the plants to mature.

農民必須等待3年，植株才會成熟。

When that waiting period is finally over,

漫長的等待終於結束後，

workers have most of the year,

工人在一年中的大部分時間裡，

from July to next February,

從7月一直到隔年2月，

to harvest.

都可以進行採收。

While that's a long harvesting period, 文法

雖然採收期很長，

not all of the pods can be harvested at the same time. 文法

但並非所有果莢都能同時採摘。

And knowing precisely when to harvest is a job for highly skilled workers. 文法

準確判斷採摘時機，是熟練工人才能勝任的工作。

And then we have to look at the garden all the time

所以我們必須隨時查看園裡的情況，

and pick the fruits when they are ripe.

在果實成熟時把它們摘下來。

If we don't pick them when they are ripe,

如果成熟時沒有及時採摘，

they will go waste.

它們就會白白壞掉。

And picking them before they are ripe

如果還沒成熟就採摘，

will pinch them and they won't be sold in the market.

就會把果實掐傷，無法拿到市場上販售。

It won't

它也不會

have a good smell.

有好聞的香氣。

And you can't pick all of them at the same time.

而且不能把它們一次全摘下來。

And the women who know how to pick the fruits

那些懂得如何採摘果實的女工，

pick the fruits that are ripe

只摘成熟的果實，

and leave the raw ones.

把未成熟的留下。

There will be five fruits

會有五個果實，

and they will pick two of them.

她們只會摘下其中兩個。

One is the ripe one 文法

一個是成熟的，

and the other is the raw one.

另一個則還沒熟。

The ripe one is the one that is picked as soon as it is touched. 文法

成熟的果實一碰就能摘下來。

And the raw one is a little bit harder to pick. 文法

未成熟的則要稍微費力一些。

To do the job right,

為了把這項工作做好，

harvesters train for 6 months alongside experienced farmers.

採收工要跟著經驗豐富的農民學習6個月。

This is when they learn to decipher a ripe fruit that can be picked

他們會在這段期間學會分辨哪些成熟果實可以採摘，

versus a raw pod that is not yet ready to harvest.

哪些生果莢還沒到採收的時候。

And the fruit will not be ripe

果實尚未成熟，

and it won't be ready to pick.

就還不能摘。

In the end,

最終，

the plant doesn't yield much. 用詞

每株豆蔻的產量並不高。

Farmers harvest a maximum of 10 pods

農民能收穫的果莢最多只有10個，

on average from each plant. That number of pods produces

這是平均每株的數量。這些果莢只能製成

only about 1 and 1/2 tsp of ground cardamom.

大約1.5茶匙的豆蔻粉。

But harvesting is just the beginning. 慣用語

但採收只是第一步。

Only after the pods are dried 文法

只有將果莢烘乾後，

will they look like the green cardamom sold in stores.

它們才會呈現出商店所售綠豆蔻的樣子。

You can buy cardamom pods,

你可以買整顆豆蔻莢，

just the black seeds,

也可以買裡面的黑色種子，

or ground cardamom, 用詞

或是豆蔻粉，

which are the seeds in powdered form.

也就是磨成粉末的種子。

All of the pods head to a separate location

所有果莢都會被運到另一個地方，

to dry for about 18 hours

烘乾約18個小時；

within a day or so after harvesting.

這必須在採收後大約一天內進行。

Any delay will cause the pods to decay and lose flavor. 文法

任何延誤都會導致果莢腐壞、風味流失。

Drying also preserves the spice's green color,

烘乾也能保留這種香料的綠色，

a factor that directly impacts how valuable a pod will be

而顏色會直接影響果莢的價值，

and what it will be used for.

也決定它的用途。

And the air and the steam must go out

空氣和蒸氣必須排出去，

in order to get a good color.

才能烘出漂亮的顏色。

From here, 表達脈絡

接下來，

the pods are cleaned and sorted.

果莢會經過清理和分級。

Workers use their hands to push and separate the smaller,

工人用手推動果莢，把較小、

lower quality pods through the holes.

品質較差的果莢從孔洞中篩下去。

Each pod is then graded based on its size, 片語搭配

然後根據大小、

weight, and color.

重量和顏色為每個果莢分級。

Highly valued pods are bigger,

價值較高的果莢個頭更大、

greener, and full of seeds.

顏色更綠，而且種子飽滿。

Out of all the cardamom Raja harvests,

在Raja收穫的所有豆蔻中，

the majority won't be worth very much.

大部分其實賣不了多少錢。

In fact,

事實上，

only a sixth will qualify as good quality marketable cardamom. 片語搭配

只有六分之一能達到可上市販售的優質豆蔻標準。

This cardamom is the first quality, 8 mm.

這種豆蔻是一等品，規格為8公釐。

This is the XO quality.

這是XO等級。

It will be good.

品質很好。

It will have a lot of seeds.

裡面會有很多種子。

This one is 1,600 rupees.

這種是1,600盧比。

Some exported whole green cardamom pods from other producers can be even costlier,

其他生產商出口的整顆綠豆蔻莢有時甚至更貴，

retailing for over four times the price at $90 per kilogram. 片語搭配

零售價可達每公斤90美元，是這個價格的四倍多。

The company's lowest grade costs 900 Indian rupees,

這家公司最低等級的豆蔻售價為900印度盧比，

or about $12 per kilogram,

約合每公斤12美元，

and can be sold as ground cardamom.

可以磨成豆蔻粉販售。

Pods with any sign of discoloration or rot aren't marketable 片語搭配

任何有變色或腐爛跡象的果莢都無法上市，

and will therefore be rejected.

因此會被淘汰。

This is called vaavudhal.

這種情況叫做vaavudhal。

This is over ripened and burst

這是熟過頭後爆裂的，

and that's why it is like this. This is the rejected one.

所以才會變成這樣。這種要被淘汰。

This is the rotten cardamom.

這是腐爛的豆蔻。

It rotted on the plant

它在植株上就爛掉了，

and that's why it is like this.

所以才會變成這樣。

There will be no good ones inside.

裡面不會有完好的種子。

But this whole process could be totally disrupted by changes in weather.

但天氣變化可能會徹底打亂整個生產過程。

If there's too much rain, 文法

如果雨水過多，

the pods will rot.

果莢就會腐爛。

If there's not enough,

如果雨水不足，

they'll burn out from the sun.

它們就會被太陽曬壞。

More recently,

近幾年來，

the world's climate crisis and unpredictable weather in India's Idukki district specifically

全球氣候危機，以及印度伊杜基地區尤為難測的天氣，

have hurt supplies of green cardamom.

已經影響了綠豆蔻的供應。

The district makes up at least a sixth of global production 片語動詞

該地區至少佔全球產量的六分之一，

and roughly three quarters of India's green cardamom production.

也佔印度綠豆蔻產量的約四分之三。

But its supply took a hit in recent years 慣用語

但近幾年，當地供應量遭受重創，

as harsh weather and rains ruined farmers' crops.

因為惡劣天候和降雨毀掉了農民的作物。

This drove up the prices of cardamom in 2019, 片語動詞

這推高了2019年的豆蔻價格，

but didn't necessarily benefit small farmers. 文法

但小農未必因此受益。

In order to make a huge profit,

要想賺取巨額利潤，

farmers need a large inventory.

農民必須擁有大量庫存。

And when cardamom is sold in small amounts by small farmers,

而當小農只能少量販售豆蔻時，

most of the payment is used to cover the cost of production only. 片語搭配

所得款項大多只能用來彌補生產成本。

Raja spends about 15,000 Indian rupees,

Raja要花大約15,000印度盧比，

or about $200 per acre,

也就是每英畝約200美元，

just on fertilizer.

而這還只是肥料費用。

That's between 10 and 15% of the total profits he'll make off that acre.

這相當於他從那一英畝土地中所獲總利潤的10%到15%。

And those profits often don't cover the total Raja must spend on production.

而這些利潤往往不足以支付Raja的全部生產成本。

All this considered, 表達脈絡

綜合考量這些因素，

the global cardamom market is expected to grow by about $169 million 片語搭配

預計全球豆蔻市場將成長約1.69億美元，

between 2021 and 2025.

時間範圍為2021年至2025年。

This is good for the industry,

這對整個產業來說是好消息，

but could present a challenge for farmers unable to meet demand 片語搭配

但無法滿足需求的農民可能會面臨挑戰，

as the climate crisis continues to threaten the supply of this coveted spice.

因為氣候危機仍持續威脅這種珍貴香料的供應。