Chat attack

tiger-skin glutinous rice ball / 虎皮汤圆 / (hǔpí tānɡyuán) 

A: Do you like to eat traditional Chinese desserts?   

你爱吃中国传统甜点吗？

(nǐ àichī zhōnɡɡuó chuántǒnɡ tiándiǎn ma?)

B: I love them. Do you have a dessert recommendation?  

我非常喜欢,你有什么甜点可以推荐给我吗？

(wǒ fēichánɡ xǐhuān, nǐyǒu shenme tiándiǎn kěyǐ tuījiàn ɡěiwǒ ma?)

A: Yup. I brought some tiger-skin glutinous rice balls for you.  

那当然,我给你带了一些虎皮汤圆。

(nà dānɡrán, wǒ ɡěinǐ dàile yīxiē hǔpí tānɡyuán.)

B: I've eaten glutinous rice balls before, but tiger-skin glutinous rice balls sound incredible, what are they?   

汤圆我吃过,但虎皮汤圆听起来很新奇,那是什么？

(tānɡyuán wǒ chīɡuò, dàn hǔpí tānɡyuán tīnɡqǐlái hěn xīnqí, nàshìshenme?)

A: Just like regular white glutinous rice balls, tiger-skin glutinous rice balls have sesame filling. But they are yellow on the outside with black stripes, making them look like tiger markings.  

和一般白色的汤圆一样,虎皮汤圆常包着黑芝麻馅。但是,它的外观呈黄色,表面有黑色的纹路,看起来像老虎的花纹。

(hé yībān báisè de tānɡyuán yīyànɡ, hǔpí tānɡyuán chánɡ bāozhe hēizhīmá xiàn.dànshì, tāde wàiɡuān chénɡ huánɡsè, biǎomiàn yǒu hēisè de wénlù, kànqǐlái xiànɡ lǎohǔde huāwén.)

A: How do they make the tiger markings?

老虎的花纹是怎么做出来的？

(lǎohǔ de huāwén shì zěnme zuòchūlái de?)

B: The yellow skin comes from dye made from pumpkin juice, while the black stripes are made from chocolate. 

黄色的表皮来自南瓜汁的染色,黑色的花纹则来自黑巧克力。

(huánɡsè de biǎopí láizì nánɡuāzhī de rǎnsè, hēisède huāwén zé láizì hēiqiǎokèlì.)

A: So it is really a dessert that is like a China-West combination.

那这真是一道中西结合的甜点。

(nàzhè zhēnshì yīdào zhōnɡxī jiéhé de tiándiǎn.)

A: I think you are on point about this. 

 你说到点子上了。

(nǐ shuōdào diǎnzǐshànɡle.)

Illustration:Xia Qing/GT