EU full of Picky Eaters

[The Mad Monk]

Originally posted by Spiffor

At the contrary, you should be glad. We are trying to get you eat real Greek feta, instead of Danish hideous Feta We're doing everything possible to improve your quality of life and you're whining !

Just remember, Spiffor...

If everyone goes for Greek Feta, the price will go up.

If the price goes up, more Greek companies will make "real greek feta".

If that happens, quality must certainly go down, due to the finite supply of "perfect" materials and conditions.

You are dooming quality feta.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
No it isn't. A trademarked product name is a completely different thing from a non-trademarked name describing a type of food. "Chicago deep dish" isn't a term you can reserve only for certain brands of pizza.

Yes it is.
If people producing the genuine product get financial or image losses because of a subpar product usurping their name, they are suffering from the very same situation as a company who has its name tainted by a misleading use of its trademark by a third party.

The actors are different. The reasoning is the same: to stop a wrong use of the name that results in losses.

[vee4473]

I think the easiest thing is to just look at the label and see where it is made. This will keep you from blacklisting the food product(and therefore denying profits to "hometurf" producers because you won't buy it again) , in general if you don't like it...



for instance, if you buy a Feta cheese made in Denmark, you know that if you don't like the cheese, then just keep in mind that it wasn't made in Greece, so don't say that "Feta sucks!!!" and keep a mental note to keep searching for a better one or to get one from Greece before you decide to like or hate it.

Heck! maybe you'll end up liking the Danish version better!!

And if you don't know what country originated a food product, then no damage to reputation will be done anyway.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by The Mad Monk
You are dooming quality feta.

Actually, sheep milk isn't that hard to get, and its production isn't that hard to expand. Only if the whole surface of Greece is covered with sheep, we'll have a problem there. But I sure hope we'll call the Kiwis in reinforcments

[Drake Tungsten]

product usurping their name

There's the flaw in your reasoning right there. "Chicago deep dish" isn't anyone's name; it's a term used to describe a certain style of pizza and belongs to society at large. Same goes for "Parma ham" or "feta cheese." No one owns these names, so it is retarded to try to stop others from using them.

[The Mad Monk]

Originally posted by Spiffor




Actually, sheep milk isn't that hard to get, and its production isn't that hard to expand. Only if the whole surface of Greece is covered with sheep, we'll have a problem there. But I sure hope we'll call the Kiwis in reinforcments

In that case, anyplace with sheep and facilities can make real feta.

New Zealand and Scotland will be thrilled, I'm sure.

[Chemical Ollie]

Then anybody with malt and peat could make whiskey. But they can't.

[vee4473]

Originally posted by The Mad Monk


In that case, anyplace with sheep and facilities can make real feta.

New Zealand and Scotland will be thrilled, I'm sure.

This was my original point, that when you break it down, Feta is just a cheese made in a certain way from a certain type of milk. That's all.

If Lower Slobovia has sheeps and someone who knows the method used for making Feta, then, of course they can call it Feta cheese...unless Feta is a company's brand name.

Just like anyone with a deep pie dish and the fixings can make a pizza and call it chicago deep dish.

I understand that many are sure that this dirt is better than your dirt for growing grapes and my sheep get better grass or whatever they eat than yours, but most of this stuff is about a style of food.


i can't believe i'm still typing about this on saturday night...i'm a loser

[Napoleon I]

Drake -

There's the flaw in your reasoning right there. "Chicago deep dish" isn't anyone's name; it's a term used to describe a certain style of pizza and belongs to society at large. Same goes for "Parma ham" or "feta cheese." No one owns these names, so it is retarded to try to stop others from using them.

As I've mentioned before, if you check the dictionary you will find out that feta means Greek blah, blah, cheese. Parma is a name of a specific city, not a "style". If American producers add style to their name, no one will have a problem here.

[Ted Striker]

there are MUCH better things to argue over than the rights to FETA CHEESE

disgusting

The proper olive oil, on the other hand, is something worth fighting to the death over

Only buy olive oil made from Italian Eurocom olives

[Chemical Ollie]

I only but olive oil made from olives

[Drake Tungsten]

Parma is a name of a specific city

So is Chicago, jack-ass. Doesn't mean that "Chicago deep dish" isn't the name of a style of pizza, anymore than it means that "Parma ham" isn't a style of ham.

Only buy olive oil made from Italian Eurocom olives

[The Mad Monk]

Originally posted by Chemical Ollie
Then anybody with malt and peat could make whiskey. But they can't.

Depends on the whiskey, dosen't it?

Only The Glenlivet could make The Glenlivet -- only they would know how.

I don't know who other than Cutty Sark would want to make Cutty Sark.

I would only buy genuine Scotch whiskey, but to keep something made in exactly the Scotch style form being called Scotch is silly.

[Ted Striker]

hey hey hey

the only jack-ass around here is me

[The Mad Monk]

SPIFFOR!!!!

There's your example!

Bourbon and Tennesee whiskies are prevented from being called such if made outside the United states -- and the restriction may be tighter than that.

I think that's silly, too.

[Drake Tungsten]

hey hey hey

the only jack-ass around here is me

Don't you mean "stone cold playa"?

[Ted Striker]

[The Mad Monk]

God, I love this thread.

[Chemical Ollie]

I never buy bourbon. Not even when I'm in Tennesse.

[The Mad Monk]

Why would buying bourbon in Tennessee be special?

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by vee4473
This was my original point, that when you break it down, Feta is just a cheese made in a certain way from a certain type of milk. That's all.

Actually, that's what I think too. Sooner in the thread, I said I think feta should see its recipe respected to deserve the name, and not only the location. Despite the best Feta I ever ate came from Greece, I often eat very tasty Italian Feta. In the case of feta, the location has a relatively little impact on the final product. Recipe is essential.

I understand that many are sure that this dirt is better than your dirt for growing grapes

"Dirt" is very different from terrain to terrain, since the geology underneath is very different. Besides, other geographic factors enter in the reasoning, like sun exposition, temperature and humidity. Grapes, unlike sheep, don't eat, proceed and crap some grass that has grown on this dirt. At the contrary, their taste heavily depends on the "dirt" (the terrain in general) they've grown upon.
It is not about saying "my dirt is better than yours". It is about saying "my dirt is different than yours, and so are my products".

[Napoleon I]

Drake -

So is Chicago, jack-ass. Doesn't mean that "Chicago deep dish" isn't the name of a style of pizza, anymore than it means that "Parma ham" isn't a style of ham.

Look, just because Chicago doesn't care about the quality of products associated with its name, doesn't mean Parma shouldn't. A city's name belongs to the residents of that city, and shouldn't be used by people half across the globe. The only potential problem I have here is if there is some other city named Parma somewhere. Otherwise, like I said, just add "style" and be done with it.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by The Mad Monk
I think that's silly, too.

Why so, if they're local specialities ?

Hey, here's another example for you. IIUC, Gin is an American drink. In France, every "Gin" I got to drink tasted like perfume (and a cheap one as that - well, maybe it tasted like white-spirit instead, I still haven't made up my mind).
As a result, I'll never drink that crap again. Because of the French (?) rip-off, the reputation of this drink has been utterly lost to me, and probably to many other Frenchmen.

[Drake Tungsten]

doesn't mean Parma shouldn't.

They can care about it all they want. The real question is whether they should be able to stop others from using the name "Parma ham." The answer is no, since they don't own the term "Parma ham." End of story.

As a result, I'll never drink that crap again. Because of the French (?) rip-off, the reputation of this drink has been utterly lost to me, and probably to many other Frenchmen.

Can't say this bothers me too much. I'll keep drinking gin and taking showers, even if the French don't like doing either.

[The Mad Monk]

I'm fairly sure Gin is British in origin -- at least, most of the gins I see here are British. Bombay Sapphire is the only one I'll touch. For other brands, "cheap" is more or less synonymous with the product.

Gin became popular here during prohibition, because it was easily produced and required no aging. "Bathtub gin" was acurately named.

[Chemical Ollie]

Originally posted by Chemical Ollie
I never buy bourbon. Not even when I'm in Tennesse.

It's a local sovernier. Anyone who visit me from far away gets a bottle of Absolut Vodka, because it's a local specialty.

[Napoleon I]

Once again - they own the name Parma. As long as standard English usage for a phrase "city" "product" is product made in that city, other people can't call it Parma ham. Is it really so difficult to say Parma style ham? Or will that stop other producers from peddling inferior product as the real thing?

[vee4473]

I understand everything you are saying spiffor, I just think that if people read the label and see where it was made, then they know that they are either getting an "original" product, or a potentially equal clone.

I'll keep saying it, if the label on my wine says california, i know not to think that how it tastes represents whatever name is on the label. I know it is the caliornia version of whatever wine.

I mean, I am not going to eat feta cheese that has "made in antarctica" on the label and say "the greeks suck ass" if i don't like it.

if the location of origin of a food is well known, then just read the label, and you will know what you need to know about making judgements when you taste it.

[Drake Tungsten]

Once again - they own the name Parma.

No they don't. Why in the hell do you think they do?

[Drake Tungsten]

For other brands, "cheap" is more or less synonymous with the product.

Hey, there's nothing wrong with Tanqueray.