(此文為英文版部落格食記，愈看中文版食記評價請點以下連結
/ This blog is the English version of the review & blog; for the Chinese food blog, please click on the link below)：
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Ode to a Date: The Fruit That Witnessed My Worst Decisions
The Origin Story of a Professional Bad Decision Maker
I am thirteen years old. Which is already a terrible age to be alive. At thirteen, your brain is basically a group chat where no one agrees on anything.
“Let’s become an artist!”
“Let’s run away from home!”
“Let’s survive entirely on instant noodles and spite!”
“Skinny equals love.”
Now, if you have ever encountered Taiwan’s beauty standards, you will understand that the phrase “skinny” is treated less like an adjective and more like a religion. There are commandments:
- Thou shalt not exceed the width of a chopstick.
- Thou shalt apologize if thy thighs touch another’s.
- Thou shalt fear carbohydrates as if they were serial killers.
The Banana Identity Crisis
Now here’s where things become absurd, because biologically I am Taiwanese, but culturally I’m a “banana.” Yellow outside. Western inside.
Except my case is even weirder. After I spend my first month of life in an incubator, my family moves to the Arab world, where I grow up surrounded by sun, sand, and approximately one billion dates. Dates for breakfast. Dates for guests. Dates for Ramadan. They exist. They are sweet. They are normal. End of story.
Enter: The Tunisian Ambassador of Sweetness
A friend from the Arab world comes to visit in Taiwan. And they bring me a box. Not just any box. A box that reads: “Marjan Dates, product Of Tunisia, 400 grams, Halal certified.”
I hold the box as if it were a holy relic that has some relation to my heritage. I hope that this can become something of a communal experience that gives you a sense of cultural identity.
The First Bite and Nutritional Redemption
I bite. And the universe explodes. The texture is velvet. The sweetness is deep and molasses-like. My brain immediately releases enough serotonin to power a small village.
Nutritional Facts for Marjan Dates:
| Serving Size | 5 Dates |
|---|---|
| Calories | 120 |
| Fiber | 2 Grams |
| Key Nutrients | Iron, Calcium, Potassium |
