過去兩百年以來，有關科學技術的創新與傳播帶動人類社會的變遷，包括輪船、鐵路、冷藏等發明，史家多從工業化、現代化的角度切入，鮮少能正視其衍生產品對人類生活的影響。本文即在補此空白，藉探討雞蛋加工業在近代中國興起的過程，闡明技術的創新對近代飲食的影響。 本文主張，十九、二十世紀之交，食物脫水與冷藏技術由西歐傳入中國，締造出前所未有的蛋品工業，同時，該工業配合輪船、鐵路等新式運輸工具的引進，以及跨國公司在華子公司產銷一體的營運模式，加上一次大戰期間歐美對於冷藏與脫水食品的強烈需求，最後終於為中國蛋品在歐美地區開發出遼闊的商機與市場。 藉分析冷藏、輪運及產銷組織等經濟活動，本文同時指出蛋品貿易不僅對於中國的出口貿易做出重要貢獻，對於中西飲食內容的變化也產生值得關注的影響。在中國飲食方面，由於食物脫水及冷藏技術引入中國，雞蛋在長江流域市場上的流通率大增，甚至進而取代鴨蛋，成為蛋類中最主要的商品。在英國方面，「蛋品」對於二十世紀初英國餐廳邁入平民化，也起了推波助瀾的作用，成為戰後糕餅業與餐飲業蓬勃發展的重要推手。當時英國日常用做麵包、蛋糕、餅乾、簡餐、冰淇淋材料的「蛋品」，高達九成的機率飄洋過海來自中國。雖然華蛋跨國消費的群眾心理、文化意涵等方面仍有待進一步分析，但從種種數據顯示蛋品貿易確因冷藏技術的改進而數量大增，中、英雙方城市的人口均蒙其惠，不僅增加了食物的數量，中西在飲食的內容與習慣上也因此而有更多選擇。

When examining the introduction of new technology, including steamers, railway and refrigeration, to China, historians tend to focus on the prospects for industrialization and modernization and thus pay little attention to the commodities produced by the innovation, not to mention their impact on people’s lives. By focusing on the rise of the egg-processing industry in China in the first half of the twentieth century and the subsequent consumption of Chinese egg products in Western Europe, this article intends to fill this gap. It will show that refrigeration, dehydration and shipping combined produced an egg industry in China on a scale not previously seen. This, plus Europe’s strong demand for food during the European War and the integrated operation of the industry, created a situation in which Chinese egg products succeeded in grasping a lion’s share of European and American markets after the war. While analyzing the economic activities of China’s egg industry, this article points out that not only did the egg trade make a great contribution to China’s export, but that it also had noticeable impact on both the Chinese and British diets. In central China, the production of hen eggs increased so greatly that hen eggs took the place of duck eggs in the domestic market and became the leading egg article in circulation. In Britain, inexpensive Chinese egg products helped chain restaurants, such as Lyon’s tea shops, establish a foot-hold in the early twentieth century. After the European war, the eggs further contributed to the rise of the bakery and catering industries. It is estimated that during the inter-war period, 90 percent of the egg white and yolk contained in Britain’s bread, cakes, biscuits, sandwiches and ice cream came from China. Thus, egg products as a new commodity not only provided more food for Britain but created more variety in the diets of the city dwellers in both Britain and China.

食物脫水技術；冷凍輪船運輸；產銷組織；蛋品工業；中西貿易；飲食變化

refrigeration; shipping; collection networks; egg industry; trade and food