Post: #26

I'm curious about the food. In the US, I'm used to 100 kinds of cheese and 100 kinds of bread. For cheese, I like cheddar, Colby, pepper jack (including a variety of specially pepper mixes, not just the most common variety), brie, gouda (regular and smoked), Havarti, goat cheese, including some with fruit around the outside, stilton, Jarlsberg, swiss, real parmesan for grating. I have most of these at home right now, but I like having options to try others. I also like cheese balls and various kinds of cheese dips. For bread, my current favorite is a 21 grain bread that is all organic, uses no bleached white flour, and has zero chemicals listed in the ingredients. I do like French bread, raison bread, and some other variations, not to mention pita bread, tortillas and a variety of crackers.
I've found in Europe that this kind of variety is not available. Heck, I swear in Holland the only thing they have is Gouda. I can only imagine that grocery stores in China do not have this kind of selection, and in some cases, may not have western style bread or cheese at all.

What's the actual situation there?

I've often thought it would be a good business opportunity to make local favorite food types available for expats living anywhere in the world. You want Doritoes in Mongolia? Go to this website and it will be on your doorstep tomorrow.

Post: #27

(12-29-2017 03:16 PM)RoastBeefCurtains4Me Wrote:  I'm curious about the food. In the US, I'm used to 100 kinds of cheese and 100 kinds of bread. For cheese, I like cheddar, Colby, pepper jack (including a variety of specially pepper mixes, not just the most common variety), brie, gouda (regular and smoked), Havarti, goat cheese, including some with fruit around the outside, stilton, Jarlsberg, swiss, real parmesan for grating.

You can't exactly get 100 different kinds of cheese and bread in China, but there are quite a few choices at both international supermarkets and even more at specialty import stores. Probably 25 or more very quality offers that they'll cut to the size you request and then 10-20 more shredded and unshredded choices in the dairy section. I've discussed this with VP and he acknowledged that just like Beijing, Hangzhou has import stores with offerings like this, but he doesn't want to pay what it costs. Therefore, it's less an issue of availability, so much as ones ability to afford a lifestyle complete with imported products.

The variety of breads available is less impressive, but I'm sure there's a bakery somewhere in Beijing and certainly in Shanghai that would please your desires.

(12-29-2017 03:16 PM)RoastBeefCurtains4Me Wrote:  I've often thought it would be a good business opportunity to make local favorite food types available for expats living anywhere in the world. You want Doritoes in Mongolia? Go to this website and it will be on your doorstep tomorrow.

China has a foreign policy of fuck you. They are now in the process of introducing new laws that completely 100% prohibit majority foreign owned enterprises from doing any type of online sales in China. All such business will have to be conducted through a Chinese majority owned entity, which will logically want a good chunk of the profits because they have you, the foreign owned business, by the balls.

The issue with a place like Mongolia, is that while they may be open to the investment, the demand for such products may not justify establishing the business.