THE FUEGO BLOG

Pronounced 'Kai-pee-REEN-ya' this is one of my new finds, the perfect spring/summer cocktail prepared with cachaça.  I found this recipe online:

1 lime
2 ounces of cachaça
Sugar to taste
Ice cubes

Wash the lime and roll it on the board to loosen the juices. Cut the lime into pieces and place them in a glass. Sprinkle with the sugar and crush the pieces (pulp side up) with a pestle. Just enough to release the juice, otherwise it'll get bitter. Add the cachaça and stir to mix. Add the ice and stir again. It is delicious and potent!

You can also make a pitcher of caipirinha. Figure out how many people and multiply amounts. If you can't find cachaça where you live, use a good vodka. The drink will then be called caipiroshka. No vodka? Use white rum and you will have a caipiríssima.  Caipirinhas made with sake and lychee are all the rage in Brazil now! Try one...We have a recipe for caipirinha made with tangerine, but you can also try the Brazilian fruit called lima, strawberries, kiwi, fresh passion fruit with mint, passion fruit with pitanga, watermelon, and so on.  www.maria-brazil.org

This is my third year traveling for business in China.  Shunde, a city of 1 million within the GuangZhou province where the Fuego 01 and 02 is assembled and produced.

China was clearly the destination for grill manufacturing, no doubt- good quality, ample resources and sophisticated supply infrastructure- especially for labor intensive products like the Fuego.  And factories were eager for business.

Nevertheless, in the past year, the environment is shifting quickly due to various government policy changes and economic factors.  The prices on various manufactured goods for exports have risen sharply.  We have seen price increases up to 30% on goods produced for exports.  Many factories once competitive are no longer.  As rebates and business incentives from government has been eliminated over the past 8 months (13%) and the currency appreciation against the dollar forces price increases across the board for export goods.

So, is this an irreversible trend as China will be focusing more and more on its local consumer market rather than exports?

I believe that there is much more depth to the Chinese manufacturing muscle to continue its global manufacturing prowl for years to come.  This will be a transition, nevertheless.  But the truly competitive factories and the astute Chinese entrepreneurs will find ways to become even more efficient.  They will find ways to consolidate, innovate, and find synergy with new global partners. They will advance technology, innovation, lean processes and value enhanced to compete and elevate its global manufacturing influence.

Thanks for stopping by The Fuego Blog. In typical Type A style, Robert and I have spent the past few months tinkering away at the tiniest of details and smoothing over all the wrinkles. We hope our perfectionist tendencies show.

Feel free to take a peek around. And while you're here, see what we're all about. In the "Work" half of the blog, we'll be focusing primarily on nuts and bolts - business trends, industry insights and the like. The "Play" portion is a virtual cross-section of our right brains - our perspectives on design currents, creative inspirations and product reviews.

Between "work" and "play" you'll find all sorts of interesting info - our favorite San Francisco eats and drinks, fashion musings, even guest commentary from our expert set of contributing writers. And, please, don't be timid. We urge you to get involved and start leaving your comments and feedback. We think you'll find the view from inside our heads to be colorful, maybe even refreshing.