Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Cheese in Asia 奶酪在亞洲

I just read some story about the rise of the cheese consumption in Asia, propelled by American food chains with their offering such as cheese sandwiches and pizzas. 

最近我读到一些故事講述美國食品鏈與他們的產品,如奶酪三明治和比薩餅,推動了奶酪消費在亞洲的增长。

Cheese is the best thing I learned to enjoy in the U.S.  In China, the dairy product I ever had was milk and whipped cream.  In the U.S., particularly in the food-crazed California, we have huge varieties of cheese, with all kinds of textures, hardness and creaminess and flavors.

奶酪是我在美國學會了享受的最好的食品。 在中國时,我吃过的乳制品只有牛奶和掼奶油。在美國,特別是在讲究食品的加利福尼亞州,我們有极多品種的奶酪,拥有各種材質,硬度,奶油度和风味。

The only Chinese food I can think of to compare is dumplings.  The most famous dumpling restaurant in my home city, Shenyang, 老边饺子馆 (Old Bians' Dumpling Restaurant), boasts several dozens kinds of fillings.


唯一可比的中國菜是餃子。我的故乡沈陽的最有名的餃子館,老邊餃子館,擁有幾十種品种。

Dumplings from Old Bians' Dumpling Restaurant, Shenyang, China

Cheese can be a tough sell to Asian countries where pastures are not widely available and dairy productions are not daily staple food.  Its distinctive flavor and smell can put off some people and maybe even upset someone's stomach - someone claims that Asians lack a certain enzyme to digest cheese.

奶酪可能较難推銷給沒有很多牧場的亞洲國家,那里奶製品不是每天主食。奶酪的獨特的風味和氣味让人排斥,甚至可能造成消化问题 - 有人称亚洲人缺乏消化奶酪的酶


I fell in love with cheese immediately and appreciate good cheese very much, but am not shy away from cheesy food generally offered in fast food chains. Quality not quantity.

我从一开始就愛上了奶酪,并学会了欣賞优质奶酪,同时我迴避快餐連鎖店提供的一大滩奶酪的食品。质量而不是数量。

When my parents visited me from China about ten years ago, I was a bit concerned with their ability to appreciate it cheese or even to be able to digest it, particularly my mother who does not like taste of butter much.  However, they enjoyed the good Parmesan cheese I served with pastas very much and I felt confident enough to serve them more varieties of safe (less smelly) kind cheese. 

大約十年前,當我的父母從中國来看我,我有點擔心他們肯不肯吃奶酪,能不能消化它,尤其是我的不喜歡奶油的味道母親。然而,他們很喜欢我加在通心粉里的乾酪,我有信心让他們尝试了更多品種的安全(味道不重的)的奶酪。
 
I don't doubt that some Chinese and other Asian people have trouble in digesting dairy product but many don't and they can learn to appreciate good cheeses just as well as westerners.

我不懷疑,一些中國和其他亞洲人有困難消化乳製品,但很多人没有这个问题,他們可以學會和西方人一样欣賞好的奶酪。

Cheese _ 4084

Cheese _ 4082

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

中美物价 - Is the Price Right?

There is a well-read article circulating online, comparing the prices in China and in the US and UK.  The zest of the article is that the prices in the developed countries are much lower than those in China.  Many Chinese readers expressed their frustration over this "fact". 

However, the prices quoted in the article are often skewed or simply wrong.  There are many facts were not known to the author of the article who admitted that he only spent two weeks in the US to investigate the prices.

1) Many prices prices listed are inaccurate. Many prices quoted were seen in shops and restaurants operated by Chinese, or in open market, while prices quoted in China were often in the department stores.  The article mentioned $0.99/pound pork or ribs.  Meat costs that low is extremely hard to find in the US if not impossible.  The quality of the meat must be miserable as well.  In the US, pork costs usually in the range of $5-8/pound.   The article even mentioned the price for BMW Z4: $21,000.  I did a quick search and found the sticker price of $43,655 - $57,500 ( http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/BMW_Z4/ ).

2) there are historical reasons for price differences.  US is a fully developed country and the percentage daily costs are lower than the developing country as China.
3) There are many costs in the US unknown to many Chinese, such as personal income taxes.  A textbook in the US often cost $100-200 while in China they are printed on cheap paper and cost on the par of mass-market paperbacks.  In the US, medical insurance cost is very high and the article failed to mention that.
4) Many luxurious goods Chinese crave are luxurious goods to Americans as well, such as Coach handbags.
5) The low costs in the US is not sustainable.  It is supported by the huge national debts.  Relying on consumers for economic growth is like drinking poison to quench thirst.  The low tax for the rich is not a good example either.
6) The article mentioned that all the houses in the US can be called a villa.  It is not true.  The quality of American single family houses are quite low. 
7)Article also mentioned that in China, if one is well-educated, one needs to own a house (flat) otherwise he/she would not have any dignity.  Nonsense.  In the US, many house-owners take out 30-year loans and often re-finance down the road.  Once the houses are paid off, they are often near the end of the life.

In short, low prices in American have many political and historical reasons, but should not be copied.

Of course, from a consumer point of view, is unfair.

1)文章列出的好多美国物价不准确。华人的店, 基本是脏,乱,差,物价当然低。猪肉,排骨 0。99/磅, 除了赤贫,谁敢吃? 那个价现在在华人店也没有。猪肉一般是5-8 美元/磅。宝马Z4价格: $43,655 - $57,500, 不是文章说的$21000 ( http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/BMW_Z4/ )。
2)中美发展水平不同,造成消费水准不同。发展程度愈高,日常费用比例愈低。
3)美国人有好多其他消费,文章没有提, 比如个人税收。美国的一本教科书,一般价格$100-200。医疗保险费用高。

4)好多中国人喜欢的,对美国人讲,也是奢侈品,比如 Coach 包。
5)美国人的低物价,造成美国国力衰退。美国人的低物价是中国买的美国国债支撑的, 而且持续不下去。靠消费引导经济增长是饮鸠止渴。美国富人的低税率也不可学。
6)美国的住房并不好。所谓别墅也不准确。你们看到美国龙卷风, 水灾的报道,也应该看到那些"别墅"。
7)30岁要有房,否则失去尊严?他们也太好面子了。美国人买房,大多要申请30年贷款。中途再贷。好多人房子付清了,一辈子也快过完了。

总之,美国人低物价是事实,有历史原因和政策原因,而且并不可学。

当然,从消费者角度看,是不公平。

Liquor in Chinese Supermarket