re: #413 wheat-dogg, raker of forests, master of steam

In fact, there is the great rice/noodle divide in China. Southerners tend to favor rice, as the climate and terrain favor its cultivation, while northerners tend to prefer wheat noodles, since wheat grows better in the colder latitudes than rice. Noodles are also made from rice, potatoes, and sweet potatoes, but wheat noodles are most common. Sorghum, AFAIK, only enters cuisine as one foundation for baijiu (Chinese firewater), and not as a grain. At least, I have never eaten anything here made from sorghum.

OTOH, I did have sorghum syrup when I lived in western Kentucky. It’s a bit like molasses.

“Great rice/noodle divide” - I’d not heard that before, it’s quite descriptive!

And your mention of baiju reminds me that I need to learn more of Chinese alcoholic drink traditions. Of which I know little. I have heard that the Chinese business class has been showing great interest in European wines. But I know zilch of Chinese traditional winemaking. I assume that there is a Chinese beermaking industry. And baiju sounds like a distilled alcohol.