【寻味中华】成都火锅：环球同此麻辣******
中新社成都1月26日电 题：成都火锅：环球同此麻辣
中新社记者 贺劭清 岳依桐
16世纪末，当原产于美洲的辣椒乘坐“马尼拉大帆船”抵达中国东南沿海时，颠沛数月的商人可能不曾想到，数百年后，这些以辛辣著称的蔬菜将成为中国西南餐桌不可或缺之物，并伴随着沸腾的成都火锅，红火走向世界。
资料图为成都一火锅店推出的牛油火锅。 中新社记者 张浪 摄人莫不饮食，但鲜能知其味。用火烹饪食物而滋味出，中华民族自古深谙用火之道，湖南玉蟾岩遗址出土的一件陶釜不晚于公元前12000年，称得上人类饮食史上最早的锅具，也为辣椒与热油在华夏的相遇埋下伏笔。
据中国烹饪协会第二届理事会副会长杨孝成介绍，民国时期，成都达官贵人宴席上的火锅多为清淡的菊花清汤锅，但街边已出现不少以麻辣著称的牛肚火锅。他20世纪60年代曾和师父一起前往重庆桥头火锅交流底料炒制，围锅而坐的人们拿起筷子不一会儿，便被那直冲天灵盖的麻辣味刺激得满脸通红，走出火锅店时还是满身大汗、舌头通木。
资料图为成都一火锅店内用餐的顾客。 中新社记者 张浪 摄中国现代著名作家李劼人在《说成都》中用“需具大勇”表达对牛肚火锅食客的敬意。据他考证，牛肚火锅最早源于重庆江北，民国时期传入成都后渐渐“研制极精”“踵事增华”：豆母改为陈年豆豉，外加甜醪糟，生菜也多了豌豆尖、洋莴笋……
时光荏苒，环球食材亦如辣椒般在成都火锅中激荡融合，百味涮万物。继牛肚之后，兔、蛙、鱼、鸡等陆续被川人海纳为锅中主角，鲜兔火锅甚至火到新加坡、西雅图；而韩国年糕、美国牛肉、泰国海鲜等四海菜品亦可在辣油中“焕发新生”……
虽然成都火锅种类繁复，但若论其中翘楚，挑剔的老饕们则会首推纯植物油熬制的清油火锅。相比“霸道”的重庆牛油火锅，成都清油火锅的麻辣更轻重有致、薄厚适宜、层次分明、绵里藏针，一如这座城市的闲适、华美、温润与诗意。
地道的清油火锅店，无需店招，仅凭那浓得化不开的麻辣香气，就能让十米开外的食客“闻香知味”，生出“拈一筷子”的冲动。待红锅沸腾，夹一片毛肚涮至火候，在蒜泥、香菜、香油混合的蘸料中一裹，口舌生香。待额头渗出细细汗珠，辣椒一路打通五脏六腑，只觉全身毛孔无不畅快。
2022年12月，成都清油火锅制作技艺传承人、大妙火锅创始人刘勇向记者讲述清油火锅的故事。 中新社记者 张浪 摄“将印度辣椒、贵州辣椒、云南辣椒、四川糍粑海椒按比例混搭，再与四川汉源子母椒和金阳青花椒相佐。”谈及清油火锅的“味蕾密码”，成都清油火锅制作技艺传承人、大妙火锅创始人刘勇告诉记者，火锅中的辣椒有提色、增香、加辣三种功效，根据食客的不同需求，辣椒的配比也会调整。为了让火锅辣而不燥，锅底往往还会加入数十种药食同源的中药材。
火锅料理师对“至味”的探索不乏知音，在“尚滋味，好辛香”的四川，多的是愿意在凛冬酷暑为那一口麻辣鲜香大排长龙的食客。“毛肚七上八下最脆，鸭肠上三下三，肥牛变色就捞……烫火锅的口诀大家都耳熟能详，但我们吃了几十年火锅，不需要数数，手上、心里都有数，这一口越吃越香、越吃越想。”成都市民罗晓华笑言。
图为2022年12月，成都大妙火锅吸引食客。 中新社记者 张浪 摄据四川省火锅协会执行会长严龙介绍，四川火锅如今已走向全球五十余个国家和地区，料理师们会因地制宜，将川味火锅与当地饮食习惯结合，如英国的火锅餐厅提供黑胡椒酱，泰国火锅餐厅加入冬阴功元素。而成都火锅也吸收着海外元素不断创新，如卡塔尔世界杯期间，便有火锅料理师将底料做成了足球造型，可谓“环球同此麻辣”。
冬日凌晨，成都街头的火锅店内依然有食客筷子翻飞，牛肉卷、鸭肠在滚沸的红油中起伏；而地球另一端，美国纽约的火锅店又迎来新一波食客，举箸欲食……成都火锅蒸腾出的“烟火气”，丝丝缕缕，沁人心脾。(完)
中新网评：美国众议长选举“连续剧”暴露美式民主痼疾****** 中新网北京1月9日电(蒋鲤)在15轮投票表决后，美国众议院议长选举这场“连续剧”终于落下帷幕，众议院共和党领袖凯文•麦卡锡最终成功当选第55任美国众议院议长。这是美国国会过去164年来耗时最久的一次议长选举记录，将美国“对抗式民主”的弊端暴露无遗。  资料图：美国众议院共和党领袖麦卡锡。中新社记者 沙晗汀 摄由于两党对立加剧、党派内斗、利益分配不均等因素，众议长选举陷入一场拉锯战。在此次众议长竞选中，美国民主党议员继续抱团，多轮投票中，一票不投麦卡锡，共和党右翼“强硬派”领头的约20人小团体也拒绝投票麦卡锡。 麦卡锡的当选之路一波三折，除了本人的“政治投机派”角色在国会不受欢迎外，与共和党内部政治分歧关系密切。 一方面，共和党党内反对者认为，麦卡锡对民主党态度过于软弱，无力对抗民主党控制的参议院和拜登政府，另一方面，因为共和党的多数优势微弱，党内一些影响力较小的派系的政治力量则被放大，有利于他们巩固自己的选票。 此外，党内反对者也认为，自己的选票没有换取更多利益，希望以此作为筹码换取麦卡锡更大的让步，比如让他们获得众议院重要委员会中的职务。 作为仅次于美国总统、副总统的政坛三号人物，众议院议长通常由众议院多数党领袖担任，选举几乎没有悬念。然而，麦卡锡此次为当选，不得不做出多个关键让步，其中可能包括恢复一项罢黜议长动议机制，使得众议长的权力被削弱，难以掌控众议院。 美国有线电视新闻网CNN称，麦卡锡在这场不合时宜的政治勒索中作出让步，这种绥靖政策只会让极端主义势力更加强大。 这场引发全世界围观的尴尬选举暴露出美国政治存在严重的对立和分化。在权力博弈思维的裹挟下，党派利益凌驾于国家和人民利益之上，美国两党相互拆台，陷入“为反对而反对”的无脑对垒。而即便是一党内，也会因为利益分配问题产生不同的小派系，相互对抗，选票变成了谋利益的工具。 从国会山骚乱到打破记历史记录的15轮众议长选举，“对抗式民主”让美国政治陷入瓶颈，长期对抗势必会让政客们丧失客观公正的判断能力，其政治阶层是否有能力治理国家也会引发质疑。 两党之争和党派内斗进一步放大了美国政治体制弊病，美国所谓的“民主”形象，让全世界大跌眼镜。鼓吹以选民利益为先的美式选举，变成了政客们利益置换的游戏，进一步彰显出美国“民主政治”日渐失能，不断极化的党争已使美国政治制度陷入死循环。  House speaker election reveals deep-rooted problems in U.S. democracy (ECNS) -- The Republican leader Kevin McCarthy was elected as the 55th speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives after 15 ballots. As the most grueling House speaker election in the past 164 years, the election has highlighted the defects of the country’s "confrontational democracy". The election once reached a stalemate due to intense partisan strife, inner-party struggle among the Republicans, uneven distribution of interests, and more. Democratic Party members forged a close alliance, refusing to vote for McCarthy, while about 20 Republicans also declined to cast ballots for the GOP leader. Except for his unpopular role as a "political speculator" in Congress, McCarthy’s hard-won election can be attributed to turmoil within the Republican Party. On the one hand, opponents in the Republican Party believe that the GOP leader's attitude toward the Democrats is too weak to confront the Senate controlled by Democrats and the Biden administration. On the other hand, the political power of some less influential factions in the Republican Party has been amplified due to the Party’s weak majority advantage in the House of Representatives, which is conducive to consolidating their ticket warehouses. Meanwhile, these opponents believe that their votes failed to win them more benefits, hoping to use this as a bargaining chip for McCarthy's further concessions, such as getting them positions in important House Committees. As the third political figure after the President and Vice President of the U.S., the speaker, by tradition, is the head of the majority party in the House of Representatives. But McCarthy has made many concessions in order to bring the ultra conservatives along, involving what’s known as the “motion to vacate,” a mechanism by which members can force a vote to depose the speaker. The reported concessions will empower individual members at the expense of McCarthy’s sway as speaker. CNN thought the concessions he made during this unseemly political shakedown would only make the extremist faction more powerful. This embarrassing election, which has drawn global attention, exposed the serious opposition and polarization in American politics. Both Democrats and Republicans put their interests before that of the country and its people, attacking and opposing each other irrationally. Besides, different factions arise within a single party and confront each other because of the distribution of interests. Votes have become a tool to win more benefits. From Capitol riots to the House Speaker election with record-breaking ballots, "confrontational democracy" has become a bottleneck of American politics. Long-term confrontation will surely impede politicians to think objectively and fairly while their capacity of governing the country will also raise doubts among the public. Both parties’ struggle and infighting among the Republicans have further amplified the defects of the American political system, with its "democratic" image shocking the world. The U.S.-style election, which advocates putting voters' interests first, has become a game of interest exchange among politicians. In addition, it further demonstrates the malfunction of American "democratic politics" and the constantly polarized party struggle that has trapped the American political system into an infinite cycle. 
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