醬油：漁民的發酵 – 東亞與東南亞早期文明全球化

 

醬油：漁民的發酵 – 東亞與東南亞早期文明全球化

大約三千年前，在中國周朝，漁民和沿海居民發明了「醬」。這是保存富含蛋白質食物的聰明方法，如肉類、魚類、貝類、穀物和蔬菜。他們將這些食物與鹽混合，進行發酵。結果？一種粥狀或濃稠的醬料，鹹味濃郁，充滿鮮美的 umami 風味。它能防止食物在長途海上航行或潮濕儲存時腐壞。

漁民在這其中扮演關鍵角色。生活在東中國海邊，他們需要可靠的食物保存方式，用於捕魚之旅和貿易。醬成為他們的秘密武器。隨著他們航行到附近海岸，他們分享了這項技術。它像水面漣漪般擴散 – 這是絲綢之路或香料路線之前，早期的全球化形式。

到了漢朝，大約兩千年前，大豆取代了昂貴的肉類。大豆廉價、豐富且易種植。在發酵過程中，頂部自然積累或壓榨出的液體美味可口。這就是「醬油」 – 字面意思「醬之油」 – 現代醬油的前身。它更輕盈、可澆淋，完美用作調味料。

中國完善了兩種主要類型：生抽（清醬油）用於醃漬和蘸醬，帶來清新鹹味；老抽（暗醬油）用於燉菜增添色澤和深度，陳化更久，風味更濃郁。這些不僅是調味品，更是文化橋樑。

中國漁民沿著海上貿易路線交換魚、鹽和故事，將醬油帶向世界。日本受其啟發，發展出醬油（Shoyu），以及味噌醬和納豆。朝鮮水手改造成甘醬油（Ganjiang）、來自麵糊塊的豆醬（Doenjang），支撐他們的航海飲食。越南沿海貿易者製作豆醬（Tuong）和魚露醬（Xi Dau）。

東南亞也紛紛效仿。泰國的西伊醬油（Si-ew）和黃豆醬（Taochiao）為街頭美食增添風味。菲律賓將其變成 Toyo 醬油和黑豆醬（Tausi），用於阿多博菜。印尼則做成甜的 Kecap Manis 或鹹的 Kecap Asin。這些地區的漁民根據本地豆類、氣候和口味調整配方，但核心 – 發酵大豆的鮮味 – 始終不變。

這不是帝國擴張，而是基層漁民推動的全球化。他們沿貿易風交換醬罐，從黃海到爪哇海。到歐洲人於1700年代發現大豆時，這味覺網絡已連結文明數千年。今天，醬油調味全球餐桌，見證東亞與東南亞古人的智慧。下次淋在壽司或炒菜上，想想那些開創漁民 – 他們將海洋精華裝瓶，分享給全世界。

Soy Sauce: Fishermen's Ferment – An Early Globalization of Flavor

 

Soy Sauce: Fishermen's Ferment – An Early Globalization of Flavor

Around 3,000 years ago, in China's Zhou dynasty, fishermen and coastal communities invented "Jiang." This was a smart way to preserve protein-rich foods like meat, fish, shellfish, grains, and vegetables. They mixed these with salt and let them ferment. The result? A thick paste, porridge-like in texture, bursting with salty umami taste. It kept food safe from spoilage during long sea voyages or humid storage.

Fishermen were key players here. Living by the East China Sea, they needed reliable food preservation for fishing trips and trade. Jiang became their secret weapon. As they sailed to nearby shores, they shared this technique. It spread like ripples in water – an early form of globalization before silk roads or spice routes.

By the Han dynasty, about 2,000 years ago, soybeans replaced pricier meats. Soybeans were cheap, plentiful, and easy to grow. During fermentation, a tasty liquid formed on top or was pressed out. This "Jiangyou" – literally "oil of Jiang" – evolved into modern soy sauce. It was lighter, pourable, and perfect for seasoning.

China perfected two main types: Sheng Chou (light soy sauce) for marinades and dipping, with its fresh, salty bite; and Lao Chou (dark soy sauce) for color and depth in stews, aged longer for richer flavor. These weren't just condiments – they were cultural bridges.

As Chinese fishermen traded fish, salt, and stories across seas, Jiangyou went global early. In Japan, it inspired Shoyu soy sauce, alongside Miso paste and sticky Natto beans. Korean sailors adapted it into Ganjiang soy sauce, Doenjang paste from Meju blocks, fueling their seafaring diets. Vietnam's coastal traders made Xi Dau soy and Tuong paste for fish dishes.

Southeast Asia lit up too. Thailand's Si-ew soy sauce and Taochiao yellow beans spiced street food. The Philippines turned it into Toyo soy and Tausi black beans for adobo. Indonesia sweetened it as Kecap Manis for sweets, or kept it salty as Kecap Asin. Fishermen in these regions tweaked recipes with local beans, climates, and tastes, but the core – fermented soy umami – stayed the same.

This wasn't empire-driven spread; it was grassroots globalization by everyday seafarers. Fishermen bartered jars of Jiang along trade winds, from Yellow Sea to Java Sea. By the time Europeans discovered soy in the 1700s, this flavor network had linked civilizations for millennia. Today, soy sauce seasons global tables, a testament to ancient East and Southeast Asian ingenuity. Next time you drizzle it on sushi or stir-fry, think of those pioneering fishermen – they bottled the sea's essence and shared it worldwide.

稅撼巨賊：中國富豪重罰，對中產打工者何其公道

 

稅撼巨賊：中國富豪重罰，對中產打工者何其公道

喂，中產打工一族，你是否常覺自己像頂梁柱，富豪卻在稅網外狂歡？西方慣例如此。英國稅法厚達十六萬頁漏洞，讓超級富豪透過離岸信託、巧計避億萬稅金。各國為填赤字，狂加我們收入稅、增值稅、地方費——壓榨像你我這樣的家庭，只求安屋上學。

中國反其道而行，較易入口。面對經濟放緩、地產崩跌財政黑洞，北京直指超富。2025至2026年，稅局召見大亨「自評」海外投資，課20%投資稅，逃稅罰款高達5倍。早年范冰冰補繳1.29億美元；今擴至金融、地產大鱷，隱匿兆元海外資產。彭博報導，官府用大數據、國際CRS共享情報追逃稅，填庫銀，無需全民加稅。

從我們角度？痛快。大多非1%富人，我們老實納稅，無天堂島把戲。中國「共同富裕」瞄準隱富，非壓薪水。西方中產扛巨債（英國2.5萬億鎊），富豪偷笑。若係逃稅，重罰何錯？無漏洞帝國，正義油然而生。

他國政客學著點：先稅巨賊，饒打工者。我們樂見其成。

Taxing the Titans: Why China's Super-Rich Crackdown Feels Fairer to Us Middle-Class Workers

 

Taxing the Titans: Why China's Super-Rich Crackdown Feels Fairer to Us Middle-Class Workers

Hey, fellow middle-class grinders—ever feel like you're carrying the world's weight while billionaires sip champagne tax-free? In the West, that's the norm. The UK alone has 160,000+ pages of tax loopholes letting super-rich tycoons dodge billions via offshore trusts and "creative accounting." Governments plug deficits by hiking our income taxes, VAT, and council rates—squeezing families like yours and mine who just want a decent home and school fees.

China's flipping the script, and honestly, it's easier to swallow. Facing fiscal holes from slowing growth and land sales crashes, Beijing's targeting the ultra-wealthy. In 2025-2026, tax authorities summoned tycoons for "self-assessments" on overseas investments—slapping 20% levies on hidden gains, plus penalties up to 500% for evasion. Actresses like Fan Bingbing paid $129M back in 2018; now it's expanding to finance moguls and real estate barons stashing trillions abroad. Bloomberg reports officials using big data and CRS info-sharing to hunt undeclared assets, filling coffers without broad tax hikes.

From our view? Refreshing. Most of us aren't the 1%—we pay up front, no Cayman Islands tricks. China’s "common prosperity" hits where the money hides, not our paychecks. Western middle classes fund endless deficits (UK's £2.5T debt) while elites laugh. Sure, some call it "robbing" the rich—but if they're evading, it's just collecting what's owed. No loophole empires here; fairness feels real when giants pay first.

Politicians elsewhere take note: tax the titans, spare the toilers. We'd cheer that deal.

商業陰謀的幽靈：一九三三年美國精英的顛覆夢魘

 

商業陰謀的幽靈：一九三三年美國精英的顛覆夢魘

讀史至一九三三年美國「商業陰謀」，心頭一震，似見今世鏡影。大蕭條陰霾籠罩，富豪工業家、銀行巨子，眼見富蘭克林．羅斯福新政如狂瀾，威脅其金山銀海，於是暗中密謀，欲廢總統，另立傀儡。退役海軍少將史美德利．巴特勒，後成揭發者，一九三四年麥考馬克-迪克斯坦委員會下作證：陰謀者如傑拉德．麥克奎爾，招之領五十萬退伍老兵，仿歐洲法西斯，組成軍團，西進華盛頓，逼宮或武力挾持羅斯福，立其為幌子獨裁，實則富者幕後操縱政柄。委員會認巴特勒證詞可信，然無人受審；大報如《紐約時報》輕描淡寫，斥為妄想。摩根銀行、杜邦家族等名門，隱於幕後，視新政銀行管制、救濟勞工為生死存亡，寧取極端，保其霸權。

此非陳年舊夢，抑或可再臨？余思之，今世危機四伏，兆萬富翁面對財富稅、氣候規管，豈異於當年巨頭？大蕭條不均，催生陰謀；二〇〇八金融海嘯後民粹狂瀾，一月六日國會山莊風暴，精英暗資亂黨，民主礙其私利，即生顛覆心。社媒如火藥，傳謠速逾舊報；私軍、暗金橫行，巴特勒式忠誠者，寥若晨星。黨派撕裂、制度腐蝕，亂世精英恒窺王座，古今同調。羅馬帝衰，貴族操兵；魏瑪德國，財閥扶希特勒；今美歐，科技霸主、華爾街巨鱷，遇民粹浪潮，或重演一幕。

細察歷史，陰謀未遂，幸巴特勒忠於民主，公諸於世。然無嚴刑峻法，無媒體警醒，富者豈罷休？今日英國脫歐、美國關稅戰，經濟精英遊說政客，操縱輿論，豈遠於一九三三？社群平台放大民怨，假新聞如病毒，輕易煽動「愛國」軍團。政客若無遠慮，縱容不均擴大，貧富懸殊如火藥庫，終有一日，爆發不可收拾。

嘆世道輪迴。歷史非線性，乃螺旋：危機重演，精英本性不改。庶民當警醒，勿待鐵蹄臨門，方悔不迭。民主如薄冰，須眾手護之；否則，商業陰謀之幽靈，復活指日可待。富者得道，國將不國，古訓昭然。

The Business Plot of 1933: Echoes of Elite Conspiracy in Democratic Crisis

 

The Business Plot of 1933: Echoes of Elite Conspiracy in Democratic Crisis

As a historian, the Business Plot stands as a chilling reminder of how economic desperation can tempt elites to subvert democracy. In 1933, amid the Great Depression's depths, wealthy industrialists and financiers—alarmed by Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal—allegedly plotted to oust him. Retired Marine General Smedley Butler testified in 1934 before the McCormack-Dickstein Committee that figures like Gerald MacGuire approached him to lead a 500,000-strong veterans' army, inspired by Mussolini's fascists, to march on Washington and install a dictator subservient to their interests.

The committee deemed Butler credible, yet no prosecutions followed; media giants dismissed it as fantasy. This elite cabal, including names whispered like J.P. Morgan associates and DuPont heirs, saw Roosevelt's reforms as existential threats to their fortunes.

This can—and likely will—happen again. Crises amplify inequality: today's trillionaires, facing wealth taxes or climate regulations, mirror 1930s tycoons threatened by banking reforms. Polarized politics and eroded trust in institutions create fertile ground; social media now amplifies disinformation faster than 1930s newspapers. Butler's loyalty was rare—modern "patriots" might be co-opted via dark money or private militias. History rhymes: post-2008 populism and January 6th show elites funding unrest when democracy curbs their power. Without vigilant checks, economic elites will always eye the throne in turmoil.

盜賊黃金時代：為何當今英國（及西方國家）是人類歷史上竊賊天堂

 

盜賊黃金時代：為何當今英國（及西方國家）是人類歷史上竊賊天堂

英國超市鎖朱古力於防盜盒一事，近日鬧得沸沸揚揚。Tesco、Sainsbury等大市肆，竟將平日人人伸手可取的朱古力，悉數裝入透明防盜匣中，顧客欲購，須呼店員開啟。此情此景，豈非荒誕？去年全英店舖盜竊案高達五百五十萬宗，創史上第二紀錄，朱古力竟與酒類、肉品並列賊子首要目標。Heart of England合作社單計朱古力損失，已逾二十五萬英鎊，約合二千六百萬港元，黑市轉售，復資助有組織犯罪。便利店協會直指，此等竊案不單耗商資，更助長販毒走私等大惡。盜賊何以猖獗至斯？根源在此：今英國，乃至西洋諸國，已成竊賊史上前所未有之黃金樂土。

回溯歷史，古時盜匪橫行，官府必嚴加懲處。唐宋以降，小偷竊一雞一犬，即遭笞杖流放；維多利亞英國，扒手可判絞刑。巡丁街頭，捕快四出，盜賊難逃法網。今則不然。英警公開宣示，「低級」罪行如店舖盜竊，無閉路電視或明確線索，即不予調查，等於發下「免死金牌」。雖內政大臣於二〇二三年下令追查每案，然警力匱乏、預算緊絀，積壓如山，多數不了了之。零售商哭訴保安費年年暴增，僅擺半數貨品，餘者藏庫，猶恐不保。賊子知訴追率不足五成，愈發膽大包天，自助結帳機前，一人掃空貨架，背囊滿載而去。

此禍非英國獨有，西歐、北美同樣淪陷。美國店舖盜竊狂瀾，法國奢侈品遭洗劫，通脹下微物變巨利，機遇空前。警務轉型，專注「嚴重暴力」，輕罪棄之如敝屣。覺醒思潮與官僚惰政，交織成盜賊天堂。古人云：「國無盜賊，民安其業。」今世盜賊橫行，市肆如戰場，百姓購物猶須忍氣吞聲。商界呼籲嚴刑峻法，警方加強巡邏，奈何執政者視若無睹？

細思之，此現象實為社會病徵。高福利下，竊賊視犯罪如兒戲；執法鬆弛，轉化為鼓勵。歷史上，盜風盛極，必有更張：羅馬帝衰，盜賊滿野；明末流寇，傾覆社稷。今英國若不復零容忍，豈止朱古力，恐培根、牛奶、麵包，盡入鐵匣。政客當警醒：法不責眾，終致眾不畏法。庶民憤懣，豈能長久？盜賊黃金世，正好成警世鐘也。