Think about the crunch of celery, mixed with a smooth, creamy tzatziki or the tang of a spicy salsa piled on top of a crispy corn tortilla chip. Is anything more satisfying to eat than a dip?

想象一下芹菜与光滑的奶油酸奶黄瓜酱混合的嘎吱声，或者是在脆玉米饼片上堆放的辛辣莎莎酱的味道。 还有什么比吃饱更满足的呢？

Dips have become big business. In 2022, over £263 million pounds were spent on dips, just in the UK. Why is it that we like them so much? Food writer Ben Paynter cites studies showing that modern restaurants use cooking techniques that can leave food seeming dry, but that sauces and dips can replace the lost moisture. Some studies have even suggested, that the liquid nature of dips and sauces brings flavours into contact with more of our taste buds, intensifying them.

下跌已成为一门大生意。 2022 年，仅在英国，降价支出就超过 2.63 亿英镑。 为什么我们这么喜欢他们？ 美食作家本·佩恩特 (Ben Paynter) 引用的研究表明，现代餐馆使用的烹饪技术可能会让食物看起来很干，但酱汁和蘸酱可以弥补失去的水分。 一些研究甚至表明，蘸酱和酱汁的液体性质使味道与我们更多的味蕾接触，从而强化它们。

Our love for dips could be driven by positive associations. Dips are designed to be shared and eaten without cutlery, they can feel more communal and informal. Diners may associate them with happy social occasions. British food writer Clare Finney points out that when dips first became popular in the UK, people may have related them to popular holiday destinations.

我们对蘸酱的热爱可能是由积极的联想驱动的。 蘸酱旨在共享和无需餐具即可食用，它们会让人感觉更加公共和非正式。 用餐者可能会将它们与快乐的社交场合联系起来。 英国美食作家克莱尔·芬尼指出，当蘸酱首次在英国流行时，人们可能将其与热门的度假胜地联系起来。

Communal shared eating may be good for our mental health, but what do dips do to our physical health? Dieticians have raised different arguments. One considers that dips encourage people to include more vegetables in their diet. The opposing argument is that dips can be high in saturated fat, calories, and salt. Many dips have small recommended portion sizes, but that doesn't mean that people follow this guidance. One US study found that 48% of those surveyed admitted to finishing an entire container in one sitting. Djin Gie Liem, a sensory science professor, points out that people are less likely to become accustomed to the taste of healthy food if they only eat it covered in sauce.

一起吃饭可能对我们的心理健康有益，但是一起吃饭对我们的身体健康有什么影响呢？ 营养学家提出了不同的论点。 有人认为蘸酱会鼓励人们在饮食中加入更多蔬菜。 相反的论点是，蘸酱的饱和脂肪、卡路里和盐含量可能很高。 许多蘸酱的推荐份量较小，但这并不意味着人们会遵循这一指导。 美国的一项研究发现，48% 的受访者承认一口气吃完一整罐。 感官科学教授 Djin Gie Liem 指出，如果人们只吃沾有酱汁的健康食品，就不太可能习惯其味道。

Dips can bring good social times to mind and give us intense flavours. Maybe we just need to pay a little bit more attention to the suggested portion sizes.

蘸酱可以让我们想起美好的社交时光，并给我们带来浓郁的味道。 也许我们只需要多注意建议的份量即可。

词汇表

crunch 嘎吱嘎吱的声音
creamy 像奶油般细腻的
tang 强烈的味道
spicy 辛辣的
crispy 松脆的
satisfying 令人满足的
moisture 水分
liquid nature 液态的性质
flavour （食物的）味道
taste buds 味蕾
positive association 正相关，指两件事有相互促进的作用
to be shared 被分享
cutlery 餐具
communal 共享的
informal 非正式的
dietician 营养学家
saturated fat 饱和脂肪，一种容易生成胆固醇的脂肪
calorie 卡路里，食物的热量单位
recommended portion size 推荐的份量大小
sensory science 感官科学