Everyone is familiar with these popular Italian cheeses: Parmesan, Mozzarella, Provolone, Ricotta and Asiago. You can find these in any grocery store, and they are popular in many recipes. But these are only a few of the delicious cheeses Italy has to offer! It’s time to get to know some of the lesser known varieties and expand your knowledge and palette.
Ubriaco. Ubriaco is a hard cheese made of cow’s milk. What makes it truly amazing is that it is matured in wine! Ubriaco means drunken in Italian. It is covered with the rinds of the grapes after pressing and then soaked in the wine for up to six months. The cheese then takes on the flavor of whatever type of grape wine it’s soaked in. It will have a dark purple rind and a fruity wine flavor.
Castelmagno. This cheese is made of a mixture of cow’s milk and either goat or sheep milk, that has been left sitting overnight. Then, in the morning, fresh milk is added. When cured, it has fine blue veins, which are a result of it being aged in a damp cellar. The flavor is a bit spicy, and it usually has a pungent smell.
Ragusano. Ragusano is a cheese that comes from Sicily, an island of the coast of Italy. It is from the town of Ragusa, hence the name. They make from the unpasteurized milk of a special breed of cow called the Modicana, and only in small batches. It’s a hard cheese, and because it is rubbed down with oil and vinegar it has a savory, mildly tangy taste.
Montasio. In the thirteenth century the Maggio monastery make this cheese out of sheep’s milk. Today it is made throughout northeastern Italy and is instead made of cow’s milk. It continues to harden as it ages and has a fruity taste. Some say they taste a hint of pineapple!
Pannerone. Pannerone is a soft and creamy cow’s milk cheese that melts in your mouth. It is subjected to many different processes, from curdling to storing at high temperatures for a week, then a week of cooler temperatures. After these two weeks it is ready to eat. The limited curing time means that it can be hard to find as it cannot be easily shipped in that short period. Many people confuse it with Gorgonzola, but Pannerone does not have any veining. It’s a smooth cheese with a bitter after taste.
Fiore Sardo. This cheese is only made in Sardinia. Here they use raw sheep’s milk. Because Sardinia is dry and hot, the cheese cures in very different conditions to those common in northern Italy and has a unique flavor. It is cured in smoke, and is rubbed in sheep fat or olive oil during the curing process. It is smoky, sweet, and can be semi-hard to hard.
These Italian cheeses are not commonly found in grocery stores, which is part of what makes them so appealing. To find them, you will have to visit a specialty shop. If you do not have an Italian foods market near you, check with another special foods market to see if they can order some for you. It may be expensive, but it is certainly cheaper than a plane ticket to Italy! And when you consider the wonderful experience of sampling some of the world’s finest Italian cheeses, the cost is really very small.
Learn more about Italian cheeses. Stop by Franklin Baggoio’s site where you can find out all about gourmet imports and what it can do for you.
Posted on 27 January '10, under Imports. No Comments.
International franchising involves far more than American-based monoliths such as Coca-Cola peddling soda pop through franchisees in 200 nations, or KFC selling meals in 80 countries, or General Motors establishing “master franchise” arrangements in 192 nations.
Most of the international franchises show on a smaller percentage, with countries in the global economy exporting as well as importing.
The International Franchise Association reports that the U.S.-based Arthur Andersen accounting firm, surveyed national franchise associations in 39 countries. These associations were asked to name the number of parent companies and local stores in each country, their country’s total domestic retail volume, and the percentage of the volume that involved franchising.
“The survey found that growth potential for franchising worldwide is exponential. The global market is far from saturated,” said Leonard Swartz who, at the time of the survey eight years ago, was Arthur Andersen’s worldwide managing director of franchise services.
The franchising giants have their special niches. For example, Coca-Cola sends a syrup concentrate to franchise bottlers because it cannot ship such high volumes of whole bottles and cans. Kentucky Fried Chicken still relies on its secret herb recipe for franchises across the globe. General Motors has franchises that deal not only in vehicle sales, but also in vehicle financing and in real estate.
Franchising monoliths indeed are monoliths. KFC is just one franchising brand owned by Yum! Brands Inc. Others are Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Long John Silver’s and A&W. So, if you see these fast-food franchise brands clustered together, now you know why.
But keep in mind that in all countries across the planet, the main economic engines are small businesses, including small franchises. People want more than sodas, fast food and cars.
For example, there is a hunger worldwide for improved education. An American art teacher, Bette Fedder, started a drawing school in her Midwest home. She then compiled a curriculum and began to recruit franchise operators. Young Rembrants now has franchises across the country and in South Korea, with plans to expand internationally. Other after-school tutoring companies have franchises that focus on general education, writing, science and math.
The global economy may be rooted in the World Wide Web, but it also means that more packages than ever are shipped internationally. The big boys such as UPS may dominate, but there also are smaller companies involved. P.A.S.S. Shipping and Handling has 800 franchise stores around the world.
The International Finance Association explores the costs and benefits of becoming a franchisee. You’ll have to pay a one-time upfront franchise fee to the franchisor — anything from $50,000 to open a Little Caesar’s pizza parlor to $800,000 for a Comfort Inn, for example. You may also have an arrangement that involves a royalty contribution or “turnover royalty” as a percentage of monthly gross sales, and an advertising contribution to the parent company.
Once you’re a franchise owner, all the franchisor wants is for you to succeed Once you qualify, you will receive continual, valuable support and advice.
If you are seeking a franchising opportunity, do not be overly persuaded by companies that describe themselves as “fast growing” or “hot” or “on fire.” Growth indeed can indicate that a company is moving toward success, but sometimes the pace of growth is too speedy and the company overextends with too many new franchises at once. A company with consistent and steady growth is your best franchise bet.
A sampling of other international franchising opportunities includes computer technology, cleaning products and services, home health care, home improvement, health and beauty, sports and recreation, travel and hotel. Those are just a few.
Joshua Adekane is a franchise consultant. For more details about investing in franchises, please review Franchise tips and best practices
Posted on 16 December '09, under Imports. No Comments.
China’s foreign trade continued to fall in September, but the rate of decline slowed sharply, the General Administration of Customs said Wednesday. The total value of imports and exports for September was 218.94billion U.S. dollars, down 10.1 percent from the same month last year, but up–.2 percent from August.
Imports stood at 103.01 billion U.S. dollars, down by 3.5 percent from September last year and up 17 percent from August. Exports in September dropped 15.2 percent from the same month last year to 115.93 billion U.S. dollars, but their value rose 11.8 percent from August. For the first three quarters, China’s foreign trade was down by20.9 percent from the same period last year to 1.56 trillion U.S. dollars.
Exports dropped by 21.3 percent from the same period last year to 846.65 billion U.S. dollars. Imports were 711.17 billion U.S. dollars, representing a decrease of 20.4 percent from the same period last year. The total trade surplus was-5.48 billion U.S. dollars from January to September, a decrease of 26 percent from the same period last year.
In the first three quarters, the European Union remained China’s leading trade partner, with a total trade volume of 260.05 billion U.S. dollars, a decrease of’.4 percent over the same period last year. The trade volume between China and the United States, China’s second largest trade partner, dropped 15.8 percent from a year earlier to 211.88 billion U.S. dollars.
“Efforts from the Chinese government and enterprises made the market share of China’s exports stabilize,” said Zhang Yansheng, director of the Institute of Foreign Trade under the National Development and Reform Commission, China’s top economic planner. Zhang attributed the slowdown of exports to stronger global market demand in the past months.
“The global economy is showing signs of recovery, although the developed countries like the United States and Japan have not totally shaken off the negative effects from the global economic downturn,” said Zhao Jinping, a senior researcher with the Development Research Center of the State Council. “China’s foreign trade dropped remarkably in the first half year. The decrease rate slowed down in the third quarter. The favorable trend is expected to continue in the fourth quarter. But this will not change the whole year decrease of China’s foreign trade,” Zhao said.
China’s export in 2009 is expected to drop by 15 percent, Zhao predicted. Zhang echoed Zhao’s forecast, estimating the rate of decrease would range from 15 percent to 20 percent for entire 2009.
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categories: imports,exports
Posted on 10 November '09, under Imports. No Comments.
Bling Bling!
Painted in gold with gold leaf decol.
Posted on 3 November '09, under Cars, Imports. No Comments.