舌尖上的航海丨第9集 海盗餐厅的“自助餐”

谢天谢地，“卡塔琳娜”号经过四十八小时的拼搏，终于驶出了号称“海员坟墓”的比斯开湾风景区。

“卡塔琳娜”号是以西班牙著名女海盗卡塔琳娜命名，船员多数来自西班牙。

“英文海盗一词来源希腊语。希腊语中，海盗被定义为：攻击或企图攻击船只的武装 强盗。”船上大厨罗西对刚上船不久的 中国水手康辉说：“历史上，海盗猖獗的不是意大利，而是西班牙。”

大厨罗西地道的意大利热那亚人。热那亚是航海家的摇篮。罗西也出生与海员世家，烧一手好菜。船员为与足球皇帝罗西区别，都称他“海上罗西”。

“海上罗西”与康辉都喜欢听海上故事，俩人成了好朋友。

“卡塔琳娜”号驶出比斯开湾后，“海上罗西”为犒劳大伙，特意烹调两道与航海有关的菜肴和甜点：“海上意大利牛肉”和“比斯开湾饼干”。

“比斯开湾饼干”，康辉在上“卡塔琳娜”号前已听人介绍过；大约一百多年前，一艘名叫“环大西洋”号货轮在比斯开湾遇上风暴，不幸被巨浪掀翻在海里。最后被冲到一座荒岛的岸边。船上幸存者逃到荒岛后，面临饥饿和死亡的威胁，突然想到船舱里还有面粉和奶酪，他们设法潜回船舱找到了“救命”的“宝贝”。不料，面粉和奶酪已被海水浸湿变成了“面糊”。他们只好将这些“面糊”摆在岛上礁石上，经过阳光烧烤。没想到，这些经过太阳烘烤的“甜食”，不仅救了他们的命，味道也十分香脆可口。

这道“甜食”立刻风靡欧洲。由于发祥地在“比斯开湾”，都它“地斯开湾饼干”，成了饼干的“祖先”。

对于“海上意大利牛肉”，康辉还未听说过。

吃过午餐，利用休息的时间，康辉找到了“海上罗西”。

“海上罗西”讲了这段美食的奇特来历。

第二次世界大战期间，意大利巡洋舰常常游弋在大西洋海域，阻截偷袭盟军的运输船队，屡战奇功。享有“海上尖刀”的美誉。一年圣诞节前夜，在海上巡逻多日的“海豚号”的物料几乎消耗殆尽。

恰巧，炊事兵在冷藏箱内意外发现一块牛肉。

欣喜若狂的炊事员，按着传统烹调方法把牛肉放进锅里加热。这时，发现厨房的淡水已经耗完。慌忙中把一小桶啤酒倒进锅中“救急”。谁知，啤酒烹调的牛肉不仅色泽鲜艳，而且肉嫩而滑，汤淡而调，色味俱佳，水兵们赞不绝口。

不久，这道在海上意外“发明”的佳肴，由海上传入陆地。不仅在欧洲的餐馆 ，甚至东方的国宴上也有一席之地。

“当你吃过这些航海‘美食’时，可不要忘记航海对人类的贡献！”说到这里，“海上罗西”哈哈大笑：“海盗餐馆的自助餐更有趣味更棒。不过，对不起，准备晚餐的时间到了。”

康辉为了继续听“海盗餐馆自助餐”的故事，主动来到厨房帮厨。

就在这时，船上接到公司调度的通知；船在法国装卸完货，直航西班牙巴塞罗那装货。

“海上罗西”高兴地哼起了歌儿。

巴塞罗那“海上罗西”的老家，位于西班牙伊比利亚半岛上，是西班牙的主要港口。这里有许多奇特的餐馆，特别是“海盗餐馆”更为有名。

“海上罗西”决定到港后带康辉品尝“海盗餐馆”的美食时，掀开“海盗餐馆自助餐”的秘密。

“卡塔琳娜”号靠上码头，正巧碰上“复活节”。按当地风俗习惯，“复活节”及节后一周都不工作。街上商场和酒吧十分火爆。

“海上罗西”带领康辉来到海边一座以著名海盗命名的餐厅。

餐厅的布置十分奇特；前厅摆着一艘海盗船的模型，四周墙壁上悬挂着海盗的盔甲、长矛、腰刀……。长条的餐桌上，各式各样的器皿里摆放着五颜六色、各式各样的甜点和菜肴，令人眼花缭乱。

这种场合，康辉还是第一次见到。

“海上罗西”边在条桌前挑选菜肴，边说：“这里的甜点和菜肴除时令菜外，大多数是当年海盗喜欢的食品。”

这时，康辉发现盛装食品的器皿，除了陶瓷、木桶外，还有贝壳制作的碗和盘子：“真实太有趣了！”

“这是由于海盗当时生活条件决定的。海盗除了在海上打劫外，还不时在海上捕捞。”“海上罗西”说：“如果捕到大鲸鱼。鲸鱼油的价值堪比黄金！”

俩人边吃边谈，不觉已经酒足饭饱。

康辉却一支惦记着“海盗餐厅自助餐”的故事。“自助餐故事还未讲呢！”这时，一位身着海盗服装的侍者走了过来，康辉因为要“买单”，连忙拿出钱包，却被“海上罗西”制止了：“今天，我买单，不过，按这里规定要抓‘彩’。”

说着，侍者捧来只桶，里面封装着有关海盗知识的问答题。如果顾客答对了，饭菜价格可以打折。

还未等康辉反应过来，“海上罗西”已从桶里掏出一张纸签。“海上罗西”打开一看，哈哈大笑：“五折打定了！”

纸签上的题目是：自助餐与海盗的关系？

真实太巧了，这个故事正是康辉想知道的。“海上罗西”不费吹灰之力，给了一个满意的答案。

自助餐是现代世界各国人们喜欢的一种用餐方式。省略了许多点菜的麻烦，还有配菜的心思和礼让的虚荣，更主要的是经济实惠，出一个价钱，在最短的时间和有限的空间，可尝尽各式美食。是当今人们喜欢的。

自助餐的起源于8至11世纪北欧的斯堪的纳维亚半岛，海盗十分兴盛的时期。

那时的海盗每当有所猎获，就由海盗头领出面，，大宴群盗，以示庆贺。但是，海盗们多数不熟悉不习惯西餐的“繁文缛节”，感到十分别扭。于是生性豪放的海盗们独出心裁，发明了在这种自己到餐桌上，自选自取食品的说法。

这就是海盗们发明的最早“自助餐”。

后来，西餐馆老板将这种用餐方法进行了规范，丰富了食品的内容和品种，便成了今日的自助餐。

“所以说，海盗是‘自助餐’的发明者一点也不过分，”“海盗罗西”最后说：“航海的故事，三天三夜也讲不完！”

“海上罗西”的回答，不仅使餐费打了折，还使康辉知道了自助餐的来历。回航的路上，康辉兴奋地说：“航海给人带来的知识，真是太多了。我一定珍惜这个职业，做一名合格的远洋海盗。”

After forty-eight hours of struggle, the Catalina finally sailed out of

the Bay of Biscay.

The Catalina was named after a famous Spanish pirate named Catalina,

and many of its sailors hailed from Spain.

The word “pirate” in the English language comes from the Greek word

“πειρατής”, which refers to an armed bandit who attempts to attack

a ship. “Historically, pirates were rampant not in Italy, but actually in

Spain,” the head chef of Catalina, Rossi, clarified to a new Chinese

sailor on board named Kang Hui.

Chef Rossi was a native of Genoa, Italy. Perhaps due to its beautiful

coastal townscape and its proximity to prominent ports and harbors, many

mariners once called Genoa home. Rossi was born to a sailing family, and

was particularly adept at putting together ingredients found at sea and

making an impressive seaside dish. Those who were close to the chef

sometimes nicknamed him “Rossi of the Sea” to compare him to Valentino

and Paolo Rossi, both of whom are famous sportsmen.

Both Rossi and Kang Hui liked to tell stories about seafaring and the

ocean, so the two of them became close friends very quickly.

After Catalina escaped the grip of the Bay of Biscay, Rossi treated the

crew to two special ocean-related dishes and desserts: “Seaside Italian

Roast Beef” and “Biscay Biscuits”.

Kang Hui had already heard of the story of the Biscay Biscuits from a

fellow crew member on the Catalina. Around a hundred years ago, a tall ship

named the Atlantic Rim encountered a storm on the Bay of Biscay, and was

tragically sunk into the ocean. Its surviving crew members were stranded on

a nearby island, where they had the idea of mixing the flour, sugar, and

cream that they retrieved from their sunken ship to make batter and bake

them into biscuits on beachside rocks. To their surprise, not only did

these biscuits save their lives, they also tasted delicious, and became a

popular snack even beyond the nautical world.

Kang Hui knew that the Biscay Biscuits took the world by storm, and

inspired the creation of many cookies and biscuits that we know and love

today. But he had never heard about this “Seaside Italian Roast Beef”

before.

Intrigued by this delicious dish, Kang Hui decided to ask Rossi for an

explanation of its origins during his break time after lunch.

Rossi, who loved telling stories, was delighted by Kang Hui’s

curiosity, and spared no detail in the story.

During the Second World War, Italian cruisers often patrolled the

Atlantic region and intercepted and fought many Allied transport convoys,

gaining the reputation of the “knives of the Atlantic”. But on one

Christmas Eve, after months of guarding the seas, navy officers on a

cruiser named the Foca realized that they had run out of all food except

for one piece of beef hidden in the fridge.

When the officers and chefs tried to make beef stew, they realized that

they did not have enough fresh water left for the stew. In the spur of the

moment, one officer poured a bottle of beer into the pot to save the day.

This “beer beef stew” was incredibly juicy and fragrant, the meat was

smooth and flavorful, and it looked quite appetizing, too.

Before long, this accidental invention spread from the sea to land. It

became prevalent in both European restaurants and in official state

banquets.

“When you indulge in these dishes, don’t forget just how much the

ocean has contributed to mankind!” Rossi told Kang Hui, laughing. “The

buffet at the pirate restaurant is even better. Although, excuse me. It’s

time to prepare dinner.”

In order to find out more about the pirate restaurant, Kang Hui

volunteered to follow Rossi to the kitchen and help him prepare dinner.

Just as they began, they heard a broadcast message from their navigation

company: “The ship had finished unloading cargo in France, and will set

sail immediately back to Spain.”

Rossi cheerfully began to hum a familiar tune once he heard that he

could be returning home soon. Barcelona is the Catalina’s home port.

Located on the Iberian peninsula, it’s also the busiest harbor in all of

Spain. Many restaurants with nautical themes sit by the shore here,

including the famous Pirate Restaurant.

Rossi decided to treat Kang Hui for dinner at the Pirate Restaurant

once they arrived, and to finally uncover the secrets behind the mysterious

buffet.

The day that the Catalina docked at the port happened to be Easter. In

honor of local celebrations, most people had a short holiday the week after

Easter, and an aura of energetic festivities and reunion filled the air at

the harbor.

Rossi and Kang Hui arrived at the Pirate Restaurant, where celebrations

were well underway. The restaurant’s interior was decorated in an

eccentric way: a model of a pirate ship stood front and center in the

dining room, and replicas of the items that pirates often used at sea hung

on the walls: armor, spears, swords, and little artifacts that Kang Hui

couldn’t exactly identify. On the dining tables, plates and bowls of all

colors, shapes, and sizes held a wide variety of dazzling desserts and

specialties.

This was the first time Kang Hui had ever seen such a unique

restaurant.

Rossi sat down at a table near the center of the room and began

ordering for him and Kang Hui. “Most of the dishes and desserts here are

what pirates used to eat back in the day,” Rossi said.

Although Rossi was focused on the food, Kang Hui paid more attention to

the different utensils and plates that were scattered around the table. He

noticed that some bowls were made using seashells, and couldn’t help but

blurt out, “This is amazing!”

“The pirates made this because of the harsh conditions they lived in

at the time,” Rossi explained, “Not only were they dangerous sea

burglars, many pirates also loved to fish. Catching a whale was worth even

more than a chest of gold!”

Rossi and Kang Hui exchanged stories as they tasted the old pirates’

meals, sipping wine and laughing.

Nevertheless, Kang Hui couldn’t forget about the story of this very

place: the Pirate Restaurant. “You still haven’t told me about the buffet

yet!” Kang Hui repeated as a waiter wearing a pirate costume walked up to

the table. Kang Hui reached into his pocket to pay the bill, but he was

stopped by Rossi.

“Today’s meal is on me,” Rossi told Kang Hui, “But according to the

rules here, you have to pick a treasure.”

The pirate waiter brought over a large barrel filled with strips of

paper. There were questions about pirates and their travels written on

them, and if the customer could answer correctly, they would get a discount

on their meal.

Before Kang Hui could react, Rossi quickly reached his arm into the

barrel and picked out a question. He opened the paper, read the question,

and burst out laughing. “The discount is ours!”

It turns out that the question on the strip of paper was, “How are

pirates and buffet meals related?” Kang Hui smiled in satisfaction. This

was exactly the story that he wanted to know.

Rossi took a deep breath, and began to tell the tale. Buffet meals are

now a popular choice of dining in every corner of the world. It’s easy and

simple, gets rid of the complication of going through multiple menus and

choosing one dish to try, and instead allows the customer to have a wide

variety of dishes in one sitting with a reasonable price.

The buffet originated in Scandinavia between the 8th to 11th centuries,

during a period when pirates became very prosperous in European seas.

Whenever these pirates successfully intercepted a ship or stole

valuable treasure, the pirate captain would take the lead and prepare a

feast to celebrate. However, most of the pirates were not accustomed to the

customs and etiquette of upscale dining, and felt very awkward at their own

banquets. So the pirates decided not to bother with formalities, and

created theirr own way of dining. They placed all sorts of delicious dishes

on the tables, and told one another to choose whatever food they wanted to

eat.

That was exactly how pirates invented the buffet meal.

Later on, Western restaurant owners took interest in this dining method

and systemized it, enriching the contents and variety of dishes, making it

the buffet we know and love today.

“So, to say that pirates invented the popular buffet meal is not an

exaggeration at all!” Rossi concluded. “I could tell stories about

pirates and seafarings for days and nights on end.”

Rossi’s story allowed him and Kang Hui to enjoy a discounted meal, and

opened Kang Hui’s eyes to a period of history he had never heard about

before. As they returned to their ship, Kang Hui thought to himself, “I

had no idea just how much seafaring has made possible for humanity. I need

to truly value this opportunity to travel at sea, and become an

accomplished sailor.”