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Why Chinatown Produce Is Cheap (2016)

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Re: Why Chinatown Produce Is Cheap (2016)

#331

Post by duncan_bayne »

look_lookatme wrote: post #74
tn135 wrote: post #66

As a fish loving Indian, I was totally surprised to see that in Capitalist America the choice of fish was absolutely pathetic. At American fish places you only get "shrimps" may be "large shrimps" and "small shrimps". Salmon, Bass, Red Snapper and just few handful of usual fish. My small village fish market offers at least 20 varieties of fish in India's coastal region. A proper fish market would offer at least 100.…

For whatever reason Americans just don't eat a lot of seafood. This is why the choices are so bad in "Capitalist America" -- there's not enough demand. It's literally capitalism at work. Some theorize that this is due to American's avoiding flavor in general [1]. http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/07/01/327248504/the...

They're fond of apostrophes though ;)

Re: Why Chinatown Produce Is Cheap (2016)

#332

Post by bjt »

Alex3917 wrote: post #47
bjt wrote: post #6

This feels like the proverbial dollar left on the street that economists say should not exist, so I'm racking my brain trying to figure out what's stopping chains from replicating this. I wonder whether this alternate network is as scrupulous about source tracking and food safety regulations. Those costs could be driving up prices on the traditional retail side.

> I wonder whether this alternate network is as scrupulous about source tracking and food safety regulations. If you think there are some regulations that Jetro or whoever is enforcing that these other wholesalers aren't then post that. Otherwise this just comes off as a subtly racist comment.

What is racist about wondering whether a marginal distribution network is being as closely regulated as the dominant/mainstream one? It's a natural thing to wonder regardless of anyone's race.

Re: Why Chinatown Produce Is Cheap (2016)

#333

Post by Broken_Hippo »

ido wrote: post #327
Broken_Hippo wrote: post #237

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The US is a pretty wealthy place. I lived in Italy for something like 15 years, and people there eat a lot of fish too, of varying kinds. By and large, they do not have as much money as people do in the US The US is a wealthy place, but a lot of individual families aren't wealthy at all. Cheap, mass-produced, pre-prepared food (either frozen or in cans/boxes) are the cheapest things to eat. Where I lived - a few hour…

OT but doesn't learning common household skills like cooking the parents' responsiblity? I've never learned it at school

I've always viewed that as an excuse not to teach it in school, and I've never quite understood. Same with personal finance.

How are you supposed to learn something from your parents if the parents do not cook or are not responsible with their money or refuse to share financials with the child? We know some kids are in that situation and teaching such things is a preventative measure.

Re: Why Chinatown Produce Is Cheap (2016)

#334

Post by rdslw »

tn135 wrote: post #66

As a fish loving Indian, I was totally surprised to see that in Capitalist America the choice of fish was absolutely pathetic. At American fish places you only get "shrimps" may be "large shrimps" and "small shrimps". Salmon, Bass, Red Snapper and just few handful of usual fish. My small village fish market offers at least 20 varieties of fish in India's coastal region. A proper fish market would offer at least 100.…

Good that you didnt visit their cheese department...

Buy hey, they have 200 different types of energy bars in medium size shops ;)

Re: Why Chinatown Produce Is Cheap (2016)

#335

Post by test1235 »

raarts wrote: post #217
alasdair_ wrote: post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Coming from Europe, I was always surprised how cheap meat is in the US. Lower quality meat is cheaper. Similar quality meat (for example, in Scotland, all the beef is grass-fed, I don't know about the rest of the EU) seems to cost a similar amount in either area.

Also from Europe, I was always surprised by the quality of the meat in the US.

surprised because it was better or worse than expected?

Re: Why Chinatown Produce Is Cheap (2016)

#336

Post by efaref »

gutnor wrote: post #102
look_lookatme wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For whatever reason Americans just don't eat a lot of seafood. This is why the choices are so bad in "Capitalist America" -- there's not enough demand. It's literally capitalism at work. Some theorize that this is due to American's avoiding flavor in general [1]. http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/07/01/327248504/the...

Same in the UK btw. The fish choice in the biggest supermarket is smaller than you would expect in local store in the middle of Spain, away from the coast. Same thing happens with meat. There is a huge reduction of variety, even at the local fishmonger/butcher, compared to continental Europe (I'm sure it is coming though) A limited choice is available all the time everywhere, but the variety is not anymore.

In the UK we also have the after-effects of the Common Fisheries Policy, which has seen a ~50% decline in our local fishing industry since the 1970s.

In 2014 UK fishing boats landed 424ktonnes of fish into UK ports, while we imported 720ktonnes of fish, mostly from outside the EU.

Re: Why Chinatown Produce Is Cheap (2016)

#337

Post by jsymolon »

linkregister wrote: post #224
zanny wrote: post #196

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would be surprised if major metro areas didn't have enough seafood demand to justify building inland fish farms to supply the urban centers.

If you go to your Safeway, Publix, or Kroger, you'll probably find half the salmon to be farm-raised. And all the catfish.

Farm raised Salmon is salmon in name only.

Different taste and color.

I'll pay the extra $4-5 dollar a pound when in "season" for the real thing.

Re: Why Chinatown Produce Is Cheap (2016)

#338

Post by autokad »

metaphorm wrote: post #33

this rarely gets mentioned in these articles but it's extremely important. The Chinese food culture is substantially different than the Western food culture, and I don't just mean the items on the menu. Chinese don't eat raw foods at all, and especially not vegetables, which they correctly (by the standards of Chinatown produce) view as being unsanitary until thoroughly cooked. They have created a market that is effi…

the article also misses a glaring fact: most vendors in Chinatown are skipping on taxes.

ever wonder why you dont pay sales tax when you pay with cash? (if they are even willing to accept anything else)

Re: Why Chinatown Produce Is Cheap (2016)

#339

Post by hutzlibu »

mikekchar wrote: post #300
smallnamespace wrote: post #262

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, this is actually a terrible thing in the long run for one simple reason: fisheries are being destroyed everywhere [1], and the US is the only nation currently with the clout to really push to change this. But since seafood isn't even on most Americans' radar and we live in a democracy, it's very unlikely any politician will ever spend political capital on it. Fisheries are being destroyed is because blue water fi…

I don't really like getting into political arguments, but I'd like to point out that the US is not really that much more forward looking than other nations wrt fishery conservation. They, after all, increased quotas for pacific salmon fishing that decimated the Canadian fisheries for years. Why? In retaliation for the unsustainable Canadian softwood lumber prices (that were shutting down all the US mills). It's polit…

"Look at all the cheap fish in the super market. If it was really getting scarce, then there would be no fish there. "

But it sounds very logical, so why is this not true?

Re: Why Chinatown Produce Is Cheap (2016)

#340

Post by Markoff »

metaphorm wrote: post #33

this rarely gets mentioned in these articles but it's extremely important. The Chinese food culture is substantially different than the Western food culture, and I don't just mean the items on the menu. Chinese don't eat raw foods at all, and especially not vegetables, which they correctly (by the standards of Chinatown produce) view as being unsanitary until thoroughly cooked. They have created a market that is effi…

you never been to real Chinese restaurant, ordering raw cucumbers or tomorrow as one of the dishes is extremely common, I was always amused to see people wasting money on this in China, since there is pretty much zero preparation besides chopping but price is almost on par with main meat course
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