An enormous amount of rice is grown and consumed in China, but to characterise Chinese as rice eaters, or call China a "rice-based" society, as the Asia Rice Foundation does, (an organisation that should know better), is quite misleading. It is true that rice is China's most important grain crop, but Chinese wheat consumption is nearly as high. On average Chinese eat 250 grams of raw rice a day – that's about four heaped bowls when cooked. Wheat – made into dumplings, noodles and bread – follows closely at 230 grams. To generalise, it is reasonable to think of southern Chinese as rice eaters, and northern Chinese as wheat eaters, or rather, wheaten product eaters.
Figures are for China & Taiwan
(1996), not including Hong Kong. Source: The International Institute
for Applied Systems Analysis.
Chinese cuisine has been exported to the world very successfully. Tea is the one singular item that has eclipsed all Chinese foodstuffs and even the cuisine itself in its influence on the wider world. A drink enjoyed in all its various forms by everyone from Japanese Emperors to Russian peasants. more …
