re: #221 lawhawk

The French have created a passably good wine industry here, though reds predominate and whites are ridiculously expensive.

Most of the climate and terrain in China does not lend to cultivation of wheat, but works fine for rice. So, Chinese (and nearby countries) get their daily starch from rice. Further north, wheat and breadstuffs are more common. Bread in the western sense is a relatively new foodstuff outside the big international cities like Beijing and Shanghai.