{"id":13381,"date":"2017-06-12T08:00:54","date_gmt":"2017-06-12T12:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/?p=13381"},"modified":"2017-11-07T12:56:25","modified_gmt":"2017-11-07T16:56:25","slug":"how-bento-became-a-taiwanese-staple","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/how-bento-became-a-taiwanese-staple\/","title":{"rendered":"How Bento Became a Taiwanese Staple"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

My first bento by Jessica Spengler on Flickr.com is licensed under CC BY 2.0<\/p><\/div>\n

In my post<\/a> last month I discussed a traditional Chinese item that originally came from the Japanese culture \u2013 the Lucky Cat<\/a>. The Lucky Cat was so well assimilated into the Chinese life, that it doesn\u2019t feel imported at all. So is the item we are about to explore today \u2013 the Bento, or in its Chinese name \u2013 \u4fbf\u5f53 (Bi\u00e0ndang). As with the lucky cat, the \u4fbf\u5f53originated in Japan but became an integral part of the Taiwanese culture.<\/p>\n

\u4fbf\u5f53\u4e3b\u8981\u901a\u884c\u4e8e\u4e9a\u6d32\u4ee5\u7a3b\u7c73\u4f5c\u4e3a\u4e3b\u98df\u7684\u5730\u533a (Zh\u01d4y\u00e0o t\u014dngx\u00edng y\u00fa y\u00e0zh\u014du y\u01d0 d\u00e0om\u01d0 zu\u00f2w\u00e9i zh\u01d4sh\u00ed d\u00ec d\u00ecq\u016b) = the\u4fbf\u5f53is in general use mainly in Asia, in regions where rice is the staple food. Bento originated in Japan and is very common in the Japanese kitchen. It became very popular in Taiwan; and entered other Asian countries as well, such as Korea, India, Philippines, etc.<\/p>\n

\u4fbf\u5f53\u662f\u76d2\u88c5\u9910\u98df (Bi\u00e0ndang sh\u00ec h\u00e9 zhu\u0101ng c\u0101n sh\u00ed) = \u4fbf\u5f53 is a meal packed in a box. It can be a\u73b0\u6210\u7684\u4fbf\u5f53 (xi\u00e0nch\u00e9ng de bi\u00e0ndang) = a ready-made box you buy at supermarkets or convenience stores. Or it can be a box you buy at special restaurants called\u81ea\u52a9\u9910\u5e97 (z\u00eczh\u00f9 c\u0101n di\u00e0n) = buffet restaurants. In which you can\u9009\u53d6\u81ea\u5df1\u559c\u6b22\u7684\u83dc (xu\u01cenq\u01d4 z\u00ecj\u01d0 x\u01d0huan de c\u00e0i) = choose your favorite dishes.<\/p>\n

The word\u4fbf\u5f53is an adjective literally meaning \u201fconvenient\u201d, \u201fhandy\u201d, or \u201feasy\u201d. And so is the purpose of this lunch box. \u4fbf\u5f53is a convenient way to eat outside, \u4f46\u662f\u4fbf\u5f53\u53ef\u4ee5\u662f\u5bb6\u5ead\u81ea\u5236 (d\u00e0nsh\u00ec Bi\u00e0ndang k\u011by\u01d0 sh\u00ec ji\u0101t\u00edng z\u00eczh\u00ec) = but \u4fbf\u5f53can also be a homemade food. It can be a box a mother cooked for her kids to take to school, or a box she prepared for herself to take it to work. It\u2019s a homemade food, but \u975e\u5bb6\u91cc\u5f00\u4f19 (f\u0113i ji\u0101l\u01d0 k\u0101ihu\u01d2) = not usually eaten at home. \u4e0d\u5c11\u5b66\u751f\u628a\u5bb6\u91cc\u5236\u4f5c\u597d\u7684\u4fbf\u5f53\u5e26\u5230\u5b66\u6821\u53bb (B\u00f9 sh\u01ceo xu\u00e9sh\u0113ng b\u01ce ji\u0101l\u01d0 zh\u00eczu\u00f2 h\u01ceo de bi\u00e0ndang d\u00e0i d\u00e0o xu\u00e9xi\u00e0o q\u00f9) = many students bring their homemade lunch box to school.<\/p>\n

The containers\u2019 shapes of the \u4fbf\u5f53are different: some are rectangular, some are elliptic, some divided to several partitions, some are one part box. But most of them consist of the same food. \u4fbf\u5f53\u901a\u5e38\u7528\u4e8e\u5348\u9910\u4e0e\u665a\u9910 (bi\u00e0ndang t\u014dngch\u00e1ng y\u00f2ng y\u00fa w\u01d4c\u0101n y\u01d4 w\u01cenc\u0101n) = \u4fbf\u5f53is normally for lunch or dinner. It includes: rice\/noodles + fish\/meat \u2013 or tofu if it is a vegetarian box + cooked vegetables.<\/p>\n

To see more examples of \u4fbf\u5f53 watch this video:<\/p>\n