Picnics and packed school lunches may never be the same again, thanks to the breakthrough by science─the non-soggy① sandwich.
Spurred on by rather unappetizing② U.S. battlefield food known as Meals Ready to Eat, scientists at the Army Soldier Systems Center in Massachusetts have devised a vacuum-sealed sandwich that stays edible③ for up to three years.
“The water activity of the different sandwich components needs to complement each other. If the water activity of the meat is too high you might get soggy bread.
Using an array of chemicals to seal the meat and inhibit④ bacterial growth, the scientists already have produced pepperoni⑤ and barbecue⑥ chicken indestructible⑦ sandwiches, which have been given a cautious welcome by soldiers who agreed to try them.
Inspired by the breakthrough, the scientists are now experimenting with pizzas, bagels⑧, burritos⑨ and even the staple peanut butter sandwich.
① soggyadj. 潮湿的
② unappetizingadj. 引不起食欲的;引不起兴趣的;索然无味的
③ edibleadj. 可食的,食用的
④ inhibitv. 约束;抑制
⑤ pepperonin. 意大利辣味香肠
⑥ barbecuen. 烤肉;烤鱼;烤鸡
⑦ indestructibleadj. 不灭的;不能破坏的
⑧ bageln. [美]硬面包圈
⑨ burriton. 墨西哥料理的一种(以肉、乳酪、豆泥做馅的面饼卷)
坚不可摧的三明治
从此以后,我们平时野餐带去的食物和学校的盒饭将会大变样!因为科学家又取得了一项成果,发明了“防水三明治”。
由于以往美国前线上供应的“速食食品”实在难以下咽,于是位于马萨诸塞州的“军队战士中心”发明了一种真空包装的三明治,这种三明治的保质期可以长达3年。
这项发明的科研负责人说三明治里各种成分中的水分含量应该彼此合理搭配。如果三明治里的肉水分过高的话,肉外面的面包就可能会变得很湿。
科学家通过一系列化学方法把鲜肉密封起来,这样可以防止细菌的滋长。并且他们已经制作出了意大利香肠和烤鸡肉两种口味的“防水三明治”。尽管一些士兵愿意尝试这种新型的三明治,但是他们对此还是报以小心翼翼的态度。
有了这一进展,科学家们倍感鼓舞。现在他们正在尝试将传统的匹萨、硬面包圈、面卷饼、甚至花生黄油三明治也改良成这种新型的食品。