141–150 of 153 posts
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They’re is an import quota on formula. You can import a small amount for a few days use. Anything greater is regarded as smuggling.
That isn’t true. You can import much more than a few days, especially the way milk powder is concentrated. You aren’t supposed to import for multiple babies, but the Chinese customs agents aren’t going to bat their eye at a suitcase full of milk powder packages.
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The actual explanation is rather more boring: almost all butter in France is sold to supermarkets, who negotiate prices once a year. If world market prices are higher, dairy products sell elsewhere instead and French supermarkets run dry. https://www.economist.com/news/europe/21730877-forget-about-...
How do you lock in a price and not lock in the supply. You can make anybody agree to any price but if they don’t deliver the goods you haven’t negotiated anything. During the ‘06-07 fuel price spike some airlines locked in a price and were able to keep decent fares. Others didn’t and added all sorts of surcharges. I couldn’t imagine them hedging fuel prices and not getting it delivered.
Plus, this arrangement probably worked out really well for supermarkets in the past, this might be the first issue with supply that they've faced.
We spaniards are just absolutely terrible at marketing. Every time that I see how italians have managed to convince the world to consume their produces, I feel ashamed. And when we finally manage to get recognition, we can't meet the demand because we are not set up to deal with international demand. I hope this trend continues and we find new, healthier ways to expand our economy.
Yep, for ex some olive oil branded as Italian is in fact Spanish [citation needed]
I bought Italian EVOO for the longest time (it's all most super markets carried), but never understood why so many people loved to eat it over pasta, or said you shouldn't fry with it. I always thought the flavor was kind of neutral and always pan-fried it without issue. Then I learned about the wide-spread fraud in the Italian EVOO market[0] and decided to pick up some expensive ($9 a cup) Californian EVOO.
The difference in flavor was so stark, like comparing a steak and an all-beef hot dog. Good EVOO has a wonderful, vibrant flavor. Now we eat pasta with just EVOO and cheese pretty often. I also discovered that when you stir fry with good EVOO, it will take on a bitter, burnt flavor.
[0]https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393070212/ref=as_li_ss_tl...
We spaniards are just absolutely terrible at marketing. Every time that I see how italians have managed to convince the world to consume their produces, I feel ashamed. And when we finally manage to get recognition, we can't meet the demand because we are not set up to deal with international demand. I hope this trend continues and we find new, healthier ways to expand our economy.
I suspect a lot of that success for Italy comes from exporting Italians - and then re-exporting Italian food via New York and Chicago, the homes of pizza. For whatever reason there don't seem to have been nearly so many Iberian-Spanish immigrants, possibly they went to South America instead. Which has also been quite successful at exporting Spanish-language food..
Okay, then produce more. I don't get these "shortage" news stories. The only way you get a prolonged shortage like this is if the supply is naturally limited (which it isn't, for all intents and purposes) or if it is artificially limited (which it might be). Either way, the shortage is not because of increased demand, but because of reduced supply and/or incorrect (or deliberately manipulative) pricing.
You do understand that can take 4 years to make a high-end certified ham? And Spaniards buy this ham for Christmas?
If some Spaniards go hamless this year, it will not be a tragedy, and it will be entirely in their power to correct. Christmas comes once a year, so prices are flexible for those who must have the hallowed ham.
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I feel the same as Portuguese. Granted we just don't carry the weight of the likes of Spain/France/Italy. But we are just so bad at exporting, it's unreal. I live in the UK and it's common to see all sorts of wines and meats from southern European countries in the supermarkets. Portugal will have 1 or 2 bottles of wine, typically from vineyards owned by UK nationals in Portugal. Even our Port - which is world famous…
In Porto cellars we visited a few years ago, the hosts explained that all grapes come from the Duoro River Valley in these cellars (technically not in Porto city proper, but Villa Nova de Gaia on the south bank of the river). And Porto (the product) is manufactured only there. I understood that they do not batch it per vineyards. Are there any distinguishing signs on the labels that show the particular grape source?
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That isn’t true. You can import much more than a few days, especially the way milk powder is concentrated. You aren’t supposed to import for multiple babies, but the Chinese customs agents aren’t going to bat their eye at a suitcase full of milk powder packages.
What is the upper limit. 1 suitcase, 10 suitcases, a shipping container?
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Modern blockbuster movies are already plagued with hectic editing and an overabundance of excuses-for-people-to-be-making-a-helicopter-landing. But some of the Chinese scenes/collaboration have worked out nicely. I can't be the only American ignorant of Chinese cityscapes. The Shanghai scene in "Skyfall" was one of the most movie's visually memorable images. Maybe "Pacific Rim"'s latter half would have taken place in…
Random trivia: significant parts of that Shanghai scene weren't in Shanghai. I did quite a double-take when bond walked off the street in Shanghai and into the lobby of my accountant's tower, here in London.
Another favorite of mine...anyone familiar with Paris will laugh at the car chase scene from Ronin where they teleport around the city from shot to shot.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
In Porto cellars we visited a few years ago, the hosts explained that all grapes come from the Duoro River Valley in these cellars (technically not in Porto city proper, but Villa Nova de Gaia on the south bank of the river). And Porto (the product) is manufactured only there. I understood that they do not batch it per vineyards. Are there any distinguishing signs on the labels that show the particular grape source?
The grapes should ALL be from the same Douro region, I don't think you'll get much more information than that. My criticism towards Portugal's lack of export savviness is more to the fact that all brands I see abroad are typically non-Portuguese (Whereas you have to assume the vineyard belongs to a foreigner/company). Brands like Ferreira, Velhotes, etc are not commonly seen outside Portugal, on the other hand, commo…
This is actually good - we want China as integrated in the world economy as possible and we definitely want them to spend and open up to outside influences, including culinary. The world (and even China itself) doesn't need another Qing period.