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So associated with China is rice, especially in the south, that it would be forgivable to think that's the only grain used. However, it couldn't be more wrong. The grains on offer in any supermarket outstrip anything I've ever seen in any western supermarket.

 

One of the most important is 高粱 (gāo liáng), Sorghum vulgare, sorghum. The name is derived from Latin. There are four main types of sorghum: forage, biomass, sweet sorghum, and grain sorghum. The name 'milo' is often used to refer to sorghum, especially in America but technically only means the last named, grain sorghum, Sorghum bicolor. Grain sorghum originated in Africa and the milo name is derived from the Sotho, mailo.

 

The first two sorghum varieties above are used as animal feed and fuel with only the last two normally being consumed by humans.

 

Sweet sorghum is also called cane sorghum or Chinese sugar cane. It is the source of sorghum syrup aka sorghum molasses.

 

Grain sorghum can be made into a gluten-free flour (sometimes called jowar or jawar flour - from the Hindi name जवार (jawār)).

 

Grain sorghum

 

In China, sorghum is important in three main applications.

 

1) 白酒 (bái jiǔ).

 

This is China's favourite liquor and the best brands are made from sorghum. China's semi-official national drink S:贵州茅台; T: 貴州茅臺 (guì zhōu máo tái) is a type of baijiu made in the town of Maotai in Guizhou province. It is one of only two products allowed to keep the old pre-Mao  transliteration - Kweichow Moutai. (The other is Tsingtao beer from Qingdao, the modern spelling.)

 

 

This Maotai baijiu is served at state banquets and gifted to foreign leaders etc. It was used in 1972 by Mao to toast Nixon at their historic summit. A half litre bottle of their premium edition (S: 飞天; T: 飛天 - fēi tiān, flying fairy) will set you back around $350 USD. An aged bottle much more. The record was set in 2011 when a single bottle of a 1935 Kweichow Moutai sold for $1.55 million.

 

Unlike lesser baijiu producers who use a mix of fermented sorghum and wheat, Moutai only uses sorghum.

 

2) 陕西陈醋 (shǎn xī chén cù), Shanxi Aged  Vinegar

 

This black vinegar is China's most popular and is made primarily from sorghum. See above where Chinese vinegars are discussed.

 

 

3) Cooked sorghum is eaten directly, usually as 高粱粥 (gāo liáng zhōu), sorghum congee or in mixed grain congee. Only rarely is it served with other dishes as a rice substitute.

 

Sorghum congee

 

 

So associated with China is rice, especially in the south, that it would be forgivable to think that's the only grain used. However, it couldn't be more wrong. The grains on offer in any supermarket outstrip anything I've ever seen in any western supermarket.

 

One of the most important is 高粱 (gāo liáng), Sorghum vulgare, sorghum. The name is derived from Latin. There are four main types of sorghum: forage, biomass, sweet sorghum, and grain sorghum. The name 'milo' is often used to refer to sorghum, especially in America but technically only means the last named, grain sorghum, Sorghum bicolor. Grain sorghum originated in Africa and the milo name is derived from the Sotho, mailo.

 

The first two sorghum varieties above are used as animal feed and fuel with only the last two normally being consumed by humans.

 

Sweet sorghum is also called cane sorghum or Chinese sugar cane. It is the source of sorghum syrup aka sorghum molasses.

 

Grain sorghum can be made into a gluten-free flour (sometimes called jowar or jawar flour - from the Hindi name जवार (jawār)).

 

Grain sorghum

 

In China, sorghum is important in three main applications.

 

1) 白酒 (bái jiǔ).

 

This is China's favourite liquor and the best brands are made from sorghum. China's semi-official national drink S:贵州茅台; T: 貴州茅臺 (guì zhōu máo tái) is a type of baijiu made in the town of Maotai in Guizhou province. It is one of only two products allowed to keep the old pre-Mao  transliteration - Kweichow Moutai. (The other is Tsingtao beer from Qingdao, the modern spelling.)

 

 

This Maotai baijiu is served at state banquets and gifted to foreign leaders etc. It was used in 1972 by Mao to toast Nixon at their historic summit. A half litre bottle of their premium edition (S: 飞天; T: 飛天 - fēi tiān, flying fairy) will set you back around $350 USD. An aged bottle much more. The record was set in 2011 when a single bottle of a 1935 Kweichow Moutai sold for $1.55 million.

 

Unlike lesser baijiu producers who use a mix of fermented sorghum and wheat, Moutai only uses sorghum.

 

2) 陕西陈醋 (shǎn xī chén cù), Shanxi Aged  Vinegar

 

This black vinegar is China's most popular and is made primarily from sorghum. See above where Chinese vinegars are discussed.

 

 

3) Cooked sorghum is eaten directly, usually as 高粱粥 (gāo liáng zhōu), sorghum congee or in mixed grain congee. Only rarely is it served with other dishes as a rice substitute.

 

Sorghum congee

So associated with China is rice, especially in the south, that it would be forgivable to think that's the only grain used. However, it couldn't be more wrong. The grains on offer in any supermarket outstrip anything I've ever seen in any western supermarket.

 

One of the most important is 高粱 (gāo liáng), Sorghum vulgare, sorghum. The name is derived from Latin. There are four main types of sorghum: forage, biomass, sweet sorghum, and grain sorghum. The name 'milo' is often used to refer to sorghum, especially in America but technically only means the last named, grain sorghum, Sorfhum bicolor. Grain sorghum originated in Africa and the milo name is derived from the Sotho, mailo.

 

The first two sorghum varieties above are used as animal feed and fuel with only the last two normally being consumed by humans.

 

Sweet sorghum is also called cane sorghum or Chinese sugar cane. It is the source of sorghum syrup aka sorghum molasses.

 

Grain sorghum can be made into a gluten-free flour (sometimes called jowar or jawar flour - from the Hindi name जवार (jawār)).

 

Grain sorghum

 

In China, sorghum is important in three main applications.

 

1) 白酒 (bái jiǔ).

 

This is China's favourite liquor and the best brands are made from sorghum. China's semi-official national drink S:贵州茅台; T: 貴州茅臺 (guì zhōu máo tái) is a type of baijiu made in the town of Maotai in Guizhou province. It is one of only two products allowed to keep the old pre-Mao  transliteration - Kweichow Moutai. (The other is Tsingtao beer from Qingdao, the modern spelling.)

 

 

This Maotai baijiu is served at state banquets and gifted to foreign leaders etc. It was used in 1972 by Mao to toast Nixon at their historic summit. A half litre bottle of their premium edition (S: 飞天; T: 飛天 - fēi tiān, flying fairy) will set you back around $350 USD. An aged bottle much more. The record was set in 2011 when a single bottle of a 1935 Kweichow Moutai sold for $1.55 million.

 

Unlike lesser baijiu producers who use a mix of fermented sorghum and wheat, Moutai only uses sorghum.

 

2) 陕西陈醋 (shǎn xī chén cù), Shanxi Aged  Vinegar

 

This black vinegar is China's most popular and is made primarily from sorghum. See above where Chinese vinegars are discussed.

 

 

3) Cooked sorghum is eaten directly, usually as 高粱粥 (gāo liáng zhōu), sorghum congee or in mixed grain congee. Only rarely is it served with other dishes as a rice substitute.

 

Sorghum congee

So associated with China is rice, especially in the south, that it would be forgivable to think that's the only grain used. However, it couldn't be more wrong. The grains on offer in any supermarket outstrip anything I've ever seen in any western supermarket.

 

One of the most important is 高粱 (gāo liáng), Sorghum vulgare, sorghum. The name is derived from Latin. There are four main types of sorghum: forage, biomass, sweet sorghum, and grain sorghum. The name 'milo' is often used to refer to sorghum, especially in America but technically only means the last named, grain sorghum, Sorfhum bicolor. Grain sorghum originated in Africa and the milo name is derived from the Sotho, mailo.

 

The first two sorghum varieties above are used as animal feed and fuel with only the last two normally being consumed by humans.

 

Sweet sorghum is also called cane sorghum or Chinese sugar cane. It is the source of sorghum syrup aka sorghum molasses.

 

Grain sorghum can be made into a gluten-free flour (sometimes called jowar or jawar flour - from the Hindi name जवार (jawar)).

 

Grain sorghum

 

In China, sorghum is important in three main applications.

 

1) 白酒 (bái jiǔ).

 

This is China's favourite liquor and the best brands are made from sorghum. China's semi-official national drink S:贵州茅台; T: 貴州茅臺 (guì zhōu máo tái) is a type of baijiu made in the town of Maotai in Guizhou province. It is one of only two products allowed to keep the old pre-Mao  transliteration - Kweichow Moutai. (The other is Tsingtao beer from Qingdao, the modern spelling.)

 

 

This Maotai baijiu is served at state banquets and gifted to foreign leaders etc. It was used in 1972 by Mao to toast Nixon at their historic summit. A half litre bottle of their premium edition (S: 飞天; T: 飛天 - fēi tiān, flying fairy) will set you back around $350 USD. An aged bottle much more. The record was set in 2011 when a single bottle of a 1935 Kweichow Moutai sold for $1.55 million.

 

Unlike lesser baijiu producers who use a mix of fermented sorghum and wheat, Moutai only uses sorghum.

 

2) 陕西陈醋 (shǎn xī chén cù), Shanxi Aged  Vinegar

 

This black vinegar is China's most popular and is made primarily from sorghum. See above where Chinese vinegars are discussed.

 

 

3) Cooked sorghum is eaten directly, usually as 高粱粥 (gāo liáng zhōu), sorghum congee or in mixed grain congee. Only rarely is it served with other dishes as a rice substitute.

 

Sorghum congee