Monday, February 02, 2009

100% French

And while we're on the subject of puzzling ... How is it that the front of the bottle can say "100% French," while the back says "Product of S.Korea"?
I'm curious what the 85% claim is on the bottle front, but I don't read Korean. Can anyone provide a translation?

I use olive oil for most of my cooking, but grapeseed oil is good for frying because it has a high smoking point. It is usually much cheaper in Asian markets. But you're left wondering where it really comes from.

10 comments:

  1. Maybe it doesn't mean "from France," but "French-style" or something. Like when you buy "English Muffins" made in Kansas.

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  2. Maybe the oil is French, imported, but the bottle itself is made in S. Korea? We're strictly an olive oil house here.

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  3. Last time we went to an Asian restaurant, I ordered Sapporo beer. When I read the bottle, I saw it was produced in Canada. Nothing is what it seems.

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  4. perhaps they use french grapeseed? Then processed in S. Korea?

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  5. Slightly tangential, but I still laugh that most of the whiskey and such that you can get in India is sold as "Indian-made Foreign Liquor."

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  6. Joel, that could be. Or like Sue's example, Indian-made Scotch.

    Joanne, I think the FDA requires place of product origin on its label, not just bottling place. I think.

    Betts, I did not know that! And it turns out that Sapporo and Guinness have had a joint venture since 1964. Go figure.

    Mimi, that's possible. Though I think it's maybe like calling a poodle French. It ain't French, really.

    Sue, I think that goes to the heart of it, actually.

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  7. okay i looked it up in my dictionary and I think it says "100% French" bc the grapes are from France (a French variety of grape or just harvested from France, i'm not sure) and then the "85%" part is saying it's 85% unsaturated. hope that helps!
    :o) ek.

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  8. p.s. my interpretation of the back label is that the oil is a product of a S. Korean company but the place where this bottle was actually bottled/manufactured is in southern CA. phew! talk about confusing! and in general, a lot of Asian products, not just food items, seem to advertise the European origins of their products bc Asians seem to think all the best stuff in the world comes from Italy, France, and other European countries...at least that's what it sounds like when i talk to my parents and relatives! :o) hope this helped!

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  9. Thanks, Kimchi! The 85% unsaturated is an interesting tidbit. I think the distributor is in California, but if it's a product of S. Korea, then I think it has to be bottled there. But the "better if it's French" concept makes sense.

    Oy, so confusing! Maybe it's best not to wonder to much about these things.

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  10. glad I could help! :o)
    i also learned a bit from you all so this was a great exercise for me as well! thanks!

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