中國特殊的節慶傳統 童子尿煮雞蛋

China is a place with many unusual annual traditions, including a mud-flinging festival in the country’s tropical southwest and a June celebration of eating worms. But one of the most exotic rituals comes in spring, when residents of Dongyang, in coastal Zhejiang Province, chow down on eggs simmered in steaming pots of — wait for it — boys’ urine.

中國有許多特殊的節慶傳統，比如西南熱帶地區的潑泥節，還有在6月份舉辦的吃蟲節。而其中最奇異的風俗之一，來自浙江沿海的東陽居民。每逢春季，他們便要大啖蒸鍋裏的煮雞蛋——看官且聽我說完：這是用小男孩的尿煮的雞蛋。



Sold since ancient times as “virgin boy eggs,” the local delicacy was officially listed as ”intangible cultural heritage” in Dongyang in 2008. Many residents believe these incredible, edible eggs energize the body, improve blood circulation and prevent heat stroke. They are also a bargain at around 25 cents an egg, urine included.

這種自古便以“童子蛋”之名銷售的本土美食，已在2008年正式成爲東陽市非物質文化遺產。許多當地居民相信童子蛋能增強體力、改善血液循環、預防中暑。此外童子蛋物廉價美，連蛋帶尿一個大約25美分。



Across Dongyang, a bustling city of nearly 1 million people, fresh urine is collected every day from buckets placed in elementary school hallways, where boys under the age of 10 are instructed to answer nature’s call — as long as they are not sick, out of concern for, umm, food safety. Some vendors even carry around empty bottles and wait in parks or public bathrooms until they find a parent that is willing to let their prepubescent son participate in the custom.

在這個人口近百萬、熙來攘往的東陽市裏，每天都有人在市內各小學的廁所用桶收集新鮮尿液。未滿10歲的男童遵循指示，內急時就對着擺在校園走廊上的尿桶解決——只要他們沒生病的話。這是出於，嗯，食品安全的考量。有些小販甚至會隨身攜帶空瓶在公園或公共廁所候着，直到他們找到某位願意讓自己未到青春期的小兒參與這項習俗的家長。



Chinese medicine practitioners are divided on the supposed benefits of ingesting urine, which modern science has shown to have no nutritional value. But the locals in Dongyang are happy to shower praise on the eggs they call “the taste of spring.”

對於喝尿所謂的益處，中醫界存在分歧，而現代科學則已經證實了尿液並無營養價值。不過東陽市民仍樂於推崇這些被他們稱作“春天的味道”的雞蛋。

To prepare the eggs, chefs generally stick to a time-tested recipe: First, soak the eggs in pots of urine and bring to a boil. Remove the eggs, crack the shells, then return the eggs to the pot and simmer for about a day, adding more urine as necessary, sometimes with herbs. The marinade gives the egg whites a pale golden hue, while the yolks turn green. They are also quite salty, according to Wu Bei, 39, an employee at the Zhang Yuming Chinese Medicine Clinic in Dongyang.

要烹煮童子蛋，廚師通常會遵循一個久經考驗的做法：首先，將雞蛋浸泡在尿液中加熱至沸騰，然後取出來敲裂蛋殼，再放回原來的燉鍋裏，以文火繼續煮大約一天。其間可視需求添加尿液，有時亦可加入草藥。經過這番浸泡，蛋白會染上一層金黃色澤，蛋黃則會轉綠。在東陽市張裕明（音）中醫診所工作的吳貝（音）今年39歲，她表示，這些蛋嚐起來也挺鹹的。



“They taste a bit like urine, but not too much,” she said. “It’s delicious, you should try one sometime!”

“它們吃起來有點尿騷味兒，但不會太強烈，”她說。”味道很好，哪天你該嚐嚐！”