Korean Job Discussion Forums

[butlerian]

I've just came back to Korea after spending a few days in China. For any of you who've been to China and experienced the beer, what did you think of it? Do any of you know why there are several different versions of each of the main brands (Tsingtao, Yangsing etc), despite each tasting very similar to each other? Also, the alcohol content is generally very low - I got a bottle of Tsingtao "Draft" beer in a restaurant and saw that it contained only 3.1% alcohol. The average seems to be about 3.6%, which is the lowest average I've ever came across.

It also seems to be the case that many big brands, especially big chocolate manufacturers, seem to be taking the opportunity to invest in China and make what many Europeans would consider to be inferior products. The average cocoa content appears to be about 17%, much less than the European average which I'd guess would be at least 25%. I know there was a big case awhile back with the European Union as many countries complained that as Cadbury's (a British-based manufacturer) chocolate generally contains 20% cocoa solids, it should not have the right to be called chocolate, but instead should be called "chocolate flavour".

Anyway, I'm sure this is all really boring to most of you, but it is an alarming trend, especially since many of the big brands now export these products to many other countries, despite the ingredients differing to those we would expect.

[ChinaBoy]

more versions of beer = more sales.. people some "seemingly" cool Chinese guy says "I like the Dry beer", despite the fact that there is no difference. This ties in with your second point about chocolate.

Things sold in China are inherently of poorer quality than you might expect, even when made by big name companies. This may be because the prices have to be lower, so the quality of ingredients must be less, I don't know. If the prices aren't lower, maybe companies just want more profits and know rich people will buy them for the brand name. Perhaps companies want to make more profits to settle the risk and expense of selling here.

So.. it might have the same name, but if it's made in China, it isn't the same.

[butlerian]

[Trumpcard]

i found that all chinese beer tasted more or less the same in china - like crap, yet a bottle of tsingtao in japan or australia has that delicious crisp unique taste.

[Tjames426]

I lived in China for many years.

Most provinces and cities have "local" brew. So, at times, it was quite hard to find Qingdao. The local stuff was not great. But it was cheap and plenty of it. Chinese beer is cheaper than bottled water.

Many Chinese drink alcohol at meals. I guess it is their way of killing whatever disease or germs are left in the food. Drinking in China is an artform in itself.

It has been a while since I tasted Chinese chocolate, but mostly I remember it tasted of chalk.

Mind you my days in China go back to the old FEC, rice tickets, no Mcdonalds, and Friendship stories. Gosh, I sound old. But back then -- real Chinese ice cream was a block of frozen milk dust on a wooden stick. Things have changed!