Describes food that has been laid out in the sun until the water in it has gone. The best-known example by far is the sun-dried tomato, which is why many learners meet the word on a pizza menu before anywhere else. But you also see sun-dried mangoes, figs, chillies, mushrooms, fish, and salted plums.

Describes food that has been laid out in the sun描述的是被放在太陽底下曬的食物, until the water in it has gone直到裡面的水分都消失。The best-known example by far is the sun-dried tomato目前最有名的例子就是sun-dried tomato（日曬番茄乾）, which is why many learners meet the word on a pizza menu before anywhere else這也是為什麼很多學習者最先是在披薩菜單上遇到這個字。But you also see但你也會看到 sun-dried mangoes, figs, chillies, mushrooms, fish, and salted plums日曬芒果乾、無花果乾、辣椒乾、香菇乾、魚乾，還有鹹梅乾。

The point of drying food this way is not only to keep it. Drying takes water out, and what is left behind — sugar, salt, the taste of the food itself — becomes concentrated, so the flavour turns much stronger, deeper, often sweeter, and a little chewy. A fresh tomato is light and watery. A sun-dried tomato is dark, intense, almost like a sweet. That change of taste is the whole reason cooks pay more for it.

The point of drying food this way用這種方式曬乾食物的重點, is not only to keep it不只是為了保存它。Drying takes water out曬乾把水分帶走, and what is left behind — sugar, salt, the taste of the food itself而留下來的糖分、鹽分、食物本身的味道 becomes concentrated就變得濃縮, so the flavour turns much stronger, deeper, often sweeter, and a little chewy所以味道變得更強烈、更深沉，常常更甜，而且有點有嚼勁。A fresh tomato is light and watery一顆新鮮番茄是清淡多汁的。A sun-dried tomato is dark, intense, almost like a sweeta sun-dried tomato則是深色、濃烈，幾乎像是甜點一樣。That change of taste那種味道的改變, is the whole reason cooks pay more for it就是廚師願意多付錢買它的全部原因。

On a package or a menu, 'sun-dried' is a selling word. It says: dried slowly, by the sun, the old way — not blasted with hot air in a factory machine. Whether that is true is another matter. A great deal of what is sold as sun-dried has spent at least part of its time in a machine, and the rules on the phrase are loose in many countries. So read it as a promise of quality rather than as a fact.

On a package or a menu在包裝或菜單上, 'sun-dried' is a selling word「sun-dried」是一個促銷用字。It says它想表達的是：dried slowly, by the sun, the old way用老方法、被太陽慢慢曬乾 — not blasted with hot air in a factory machine而不是在工廠機器裡被熱風急速吹乾。Whether that is true is another matter那是不是真的，是另一回事。A great deal of what is sold as sun-dried很多被當作sun-dried賣的東西, has spent at least part of its time in a machine至少有部分時間是在機器裡度過的, and the rules on the phrase are loose in many countries而且很多國家對這個說法的規範很鬆散。So read it as a promise of quality所以把它讀成一種品質上的承諾, rather than as a fact而不是一個事實。

Though actually — the word is not only for food. 'Sun-dried' bricks or clay are a real and common use, especially in writing about older buildings and hot countries. Mud bricks are still made this way. So if you meet 'sun-dried brick' in a history book, nothing is wrong.

Though actually不過其實 — the word is not only for food這個字不是只用在食物上。'Sun-dried' bricks or clay are a real and common use「sun-dried」磚頭或黏土是真實而常見的用法, especially in writing about older buildings and hot countries特別是在寫古老建築或炎熱國家的文章裡。Mud bricks are still made this way泥磚現在還是這樣做的。So if you meet 'sun-dried brick' in a history book所以如果你在歷史書裡遇到『sun-dried brick』, nothing is wrong那沒有什麼不對。

Always hyphenated, and it sits in front of the noun: sun-dried tomatoes, not 'tomatoes sun-dried'.

Always hyphenated一定要加連字號, and it sits in front of the noun而且它放在名詞前面：sun-dried tomatoes, not 'tomatoes sun-dried'是sun-dried tomatoes，不是『tomatoes sun-dried』。