Snails Save Bulgarian Farmers from Recession
October 5, 2009
Few industries have been spared during the global recession, with many still bracing for things to get worse before they get better. But farmers in Bulgaria have found a product that is seemingly recession-proof: snails. The cost to raise them is low and demand is so high, farmers can’t keep up with orders.
From MSNBC:
Businesses may shut by the day across Europe, and Bulgarian agriculture has been declining for 20 years, but snails — a delicacy particularly popular in France and Italy — have become a dynamic niche for the European Union’s poorest country.
September is harvest season and demand is outstripping supply for “escargots”, as the French call them (”ohlyuvi” in Bulgarian). The country has seized the chance to reinforce a position exporting luxury foods that are rarely consumed at home.
About 800 to 900 tons of snails and snail products — six times more than in 2008 — will be exported from Bulgaria this year to please the palates of aficionados, mostly in France.
300 new snail farms are set to open in Bulgaria next year as orders come in from all over Europe. People are really hungry for some snails.
Hey, sometimes tradition trumps smart spending, and people want little luxuries these days. Though why disgusting little slimy creatures are a luxury, I’ll never know.
Link [MSNBC]
Photo credit: Flickr user AussieGall
Oh The Humanity! Economic Downturn Impacting Wives of Rich Asshole Bankers
March 27, 2008
It looks like we’re staring down the barrel of a pretty healthy recession and it’s important to remember the people truly being affected by the economic downturn- the wives of rich bankers. The NY Post reports that the spouses of some of the guys behinds the Bear Sterns meltdown are cutting back on basic necessities like high end interior decorating. They have it:
“We only had about $50,000 worth of final touches [to go], and the wife called me last week and said stop,” said interior designer Darren Henault, whose work has been featured in Vanity Fair and Elle Decor.
“She said they’re not poor, and are never going to be poor,” Henault said, “but their capacity for discretionary income for things like window valances just went out the window.”
It just reminds me how cold and cruel the world can be.
Link [New York Post]
