為什麼松子這麼貴？| 昂貴之謎：英語精讀講義

In the remote forests of northeastern China,

在中國東北偏遠的森林裡，

local harvesters climb trees as high as 100 ft to reach this region's most valuable product, 文法

當地採收工得爬上高達100英尺的樹，才能採到這個地區最珍貴的物產——

pine nuts.

松子。

The job is dangerous,

這份工作很危險，

but the reward is high for people willing to risk their lives. 片語搭配

但對願意冒生命危險的人來說，回報也很豐厚。

In the US,

在美國，

pine nuts, which are actually seeds,

松子其實是種子，

can sell for upwards of $117 a kilogram. 用詞

每公斤售價可超過117美元。

Compare that to the price of pistachios, 表達脈絡

相較之下，開心果

which can sell for about $39 a kilogram.

每公斤售價約為39美元。

So, what makes pine nuts so special? 文法

那麼，松子究竟有什麼特別之處？

And why are they so expensive?

又為什麼這麼貴？

Around the world,

在世界各地，

there are 30 species of pine trees that produce edible seeds,

能結出可食用種子的松樹有30種，

yet only a handful are sold commercially. 慣用語

但只有少數幾個品種作為商品販售。

Like Korean pine,

例如紅松，

which grows here in northeastern China.

它就生長在中國東北。

It needs specific conditions to grow.

它需要特定的生長條件。

And unlike almonds and pecans, 表達脈絡

松子不同於杏仁和胡桃，

which can be commercially grown on orchards and plantations,

後兩者可以在果園和種植園進行商業化栽種，

most pine nuts come from natural forests.

而大多數松子都來自天然森林。

The trees need to grow for at least 25 to 50 years

松樹至少要生長25到50年，

before they bear cones and seeds. 用詞

才會結出松果和種子。

Even after all this time,

即使等了這麼久，

individual trees will only be ripe for picking once every 2 years. 片語搭配

每棵樹也只能每兩年採收一次。

When the time comes, 片語搭配

到了採收季，

local harvesters make their way into the forest 片語搭配

當地採收工會進入森林，

to do the most dangerous part of the job

去做這份工作中最危險的部分，

the moment they arrive,

他們一到那裡，

scaling those 100-ft trees to reach the cones and seeds. 用詞

就會爬上那些100英尺高的樹，採摘松果和種子。

Those who are willing climb 20 to 30 trees each day,

願意做這份工作的人每天要爬20到30棵樹，

armed with long poles and spikes attached to their boots, 用詞

帶著長桿，靴子上還綁著腳刺，

which they use to knock the cones to the forest floor.

用這些工具把松果打落到森林地面。

Because of the risk 文法

由於風險很高，

and because this job can't be done by machines,

而且這項工作無法由機器完成，

processors must also pay for accident insurance.

加工商還必須購買意外保險。

It costs about 900 yuan,

保險費用約為900元，

or $139 per worker each month.

也就是每名工人每月139美元。

And insurance costs get even more expensive

而保險費用還會更高，

for harvesting companies when paying for workers by the day. 片語搭配

尤其是採收公司按日支付工人工資時。

Now climbing up the mountain

現在上山

to get pine cones is done manually.

採松果都得靠人工。

We used to hire a truck to pull them for 500 yuan, 文法

以前僱卡車來載要500元，

now it's 800.

現在要800元。

Manpower used to be 300, 400,

人工以前是300、400元，

now it's up to 900 up to the highest point.

現在最高處已經漲到900元。

Another unpredictable element of harvesting pine nuts

採收松子的另一個不可預測因素，

is just how much time harvesters have to collect the pine cones each season. 文法

是採收工每一季究竟有多少時間可以採松果。

For example,

例如，

the Korean pine season typically starts on September 1st

紅松的採收季通常從9月1日開始，

and can last as long as 2 months 文法

最長可以持續兩個月，

or be as short as 20 days.

最短卻只有20天。

This brief window of time 慣用語

採收期如此短暫，

means laborers have to collect as many cones as possible 文法

意味著工人必須盡可能多採集松果，

into their large burlap sacks.

裝進他們的大麻布袋裡。

On average,

平均來說，

they can fill 4 to 6 bags a day,

他們每天能裝滿4到6袋，

with a single sack often weighing as much as 142 lb.

一袋往往重達142磅。

They get paid by processors in two ways.

加工商透過兩種方式付錢給他們。

First, 表達脈絡

第一，

they earn a day rate, 用詞

他們會拿到日薪，

which is around $123 a day.

每天約123美元。

And second,

第二，

they get paid by how much they harvest. 片語搭配

按採收量計酬。

As of September 2021, 片語搭配

截至2021年9月，

a processor will pay $720 for four full bags of cones.

加工商會為四袋裝得滿滿的松果支付720美元。

These bags then go to a processing facility

這些袋子接著會被送到加工廠，

where the cones are opened and crushed 文法

松果會在那裡被打開、壓碎，

to reveal the pine nut shells inside.

露出裡面帶殼的松子。

Cones that are sold to processors

賣給加工商的松果

often come in green and unripened

往往還是青的，尚未成熟，

and need additional processing.

因此需要進一步處理。

If it's early on,

如果採得比較早，

because this is too light,

因為這個太輕，

it hasn't opened

它還沒有打開，

yet. It has to be let to ferment

就得先讓它發酵，

with a cloth to let it heat up.

用布蓋起來，讓它升溫。

It will open up like this.

它就會像這樣打開。

It's easier to work with the machine that I just bought.

用我剛買的這台機器處理起來更容易。

On September 1st,

到了9月1日，

I have to wait until the 15th or the 10th

我要等到15日或10日

to work with them.

才能處理。

But after the 15th of September,

但到了9月15日以後，

it's not necessary to do

就沒必要

that. I can work with them the same day.

這麼做了，當天就能處理。

Knowing exactly when a pine cone needs to be threshed 講解

準確判斷松果何時需要脫粒，

is an important part of the process,

是整個流程中很重要的一環，

as it can determine the quality of the seeds inside

因為這會決定裡面種子的品質，

and ultimately the final price they can be sold for. 文法

最終也會影響它們的售價。

If you don't process them quickly,

如果不趕快處理，

they will ferment and go bad. 片語搭配

它們就會發酵變質。

It will affect the color of the pine nuts,

這會影響松子的顏色，

and the quality and the taste.

也會影響品質和口感。

But we will process them quickly

但我們會盡快處理，

and not let them sit for too long. 文法

不會讓它們放太久。

It's only after the pine cone scales are opened 文法

只有等松果的鱗片打開後，

that the pine nuts can be extracted.

才能取出松子。

And even then, 表達脈絡

即使如此，

the cones don't yield many seeds. 用詞

每個松果裡的種子也不多。

A single pine cone can produce 2 kg on average.

一顆松果平均能產出2公斤。

So,

所以，

some of them can weigh 1 kg.

有些松果能重達1公斤。

This means that 250 kg of pine cones 表達脈絡

也就是說，250公斤松果

yields only 50 kg of pine nuts.

只能產出50公斤松子。

Because a majority of pine trees grow in natural forests,

由於大多數松樹生長在天然森林中，

there are large variations in the yield from year to year. 片語搭配

每年的產量差異很大。

This causes demand to often outweigh supply, 用詞

這使得需求經常超過供應，

driving the overall price of pine nuts up. 片語動詞

進而推高松子的整體價格。

But the price of each pine nut

不過，每顆松子的價格

also depends on its size.

還取決於它的大小。

It's 28 to 30 for big ones,

大顆的是28到30，

30 to 32 for big ones.

大顆的是30到32。

$5 to $6.

5到6美元。

That's a big difference,

差價很大，

because the high-end stuff is still more valuable. 用詞

因為高級貨還是更值錢。

Once processed, 文法

加工完成後，

some seeds are sold as they are now,

有些種子會以現在這種樣子販售，

in their shells.

也就是保留外殼。

Others are sold

另一些則

as the white nuts you see in dishes like pesto.

作為你在青醬等料理中看到的白色果仁販售。

They are the same nuts,

它們其實是同一種果仁，

just with the outer shell removed. 文法

只是去掉了外殼。

The two largest producers of pine nuts

全球最大的兩個松子產區

are East Asia and the Mediterranean.

是東亞和地中海地區。

Korean pine,

紅松

which is the most common species to grow in China,

是中國最常見的松樹品種，

makes up 59% of the world's global supply. 片語動詞

佔全球松子供應量的59%。

By 2025,

到2025年，

the pine nut market is expected to grow by $332 million. 文法

松子市場預計將成長3.32億美元。

And with a growing demand for foods like pesto and hummus, 文法

隨著人們對青醬和鷹嘴豆泥等食品的需求不斷增加，

it's likely that the price you pay for pine nuts 文法

你購買松子時支付的價格

will only continue to rise.

很可能只會繼續上漲。