Asian countries are eating more wheat (2024)

FAQs

Asian countries are eating more wheat? ›

Wheat consumption in major Asian countries totaled 337 million tons in 2021, up 34% from 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In the same period, rice consumption grew only 14%. Wheat consumption outside China expanded 35% to 189 million tons.

But unsurprisingly, wheat consumption can vary sharply by country. China is the world's largest consumer of wheat by overall volume, chowing down on more than 97,000 tons of grain. India is in second with more than 90,000 tons. Both of these high-population countries consume about 65 kilograms of wheat per capita.

Wheat and rice are the main staple foods in China, which contribute to about half of the total energy intake (16). Considering the frequency and amount of consumption, wheat and rice are likely to have a major influence on health, either good or adverse.

Grains and Breads: Of the foods consumed on a daily basis, rice, rice products, noodles, breads, millet, corn, and other grains are consumed in the greatest amount. Potatoes and cereals are included in this food group. Vegetables: Fresh vegetables are also consumed in large quantities in the traditional Asian diet.

Papademetriou. Rice is the staple food of Asia and part of the Pacific. Over 90 percent of the world's rice is produced and consumed in the Asia-Pacific Region.

According to data from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the country that consumes the most wheat in the world is China.

For many years, Asians were considered less susceptible to gluten intolerance and coeliac disease. However, recent studies from multiple global institutes have concluded that gluten intolerance is on the rise among Asians, especially among the Chinese and Indian consumers.

Unfortunately Japanese food is also rife with wheat, using considerable amounts of soy sauce, barley, and wheat flour, and even basic sushi rice often includes a grain-based vinegar that blends barley malt or wheat with rice vinegar, which is a no-go for celiacs.

They Fill Up on Fruits, Vegetables, and Fish

Asian diets tend to be diverse, as they feature a wide variety of fresh fish and produce. Most meals contain a stewed vegetable in some capacity, and many dishes have more than three times as many greens as meat.

Are Asians healthier than Americans? ›

Many Asian subgroups have worse health indicators than whites when data are examined by nationality, as opposed to collectively. Asian Americans typically rank as healthier than the general U.S. population.

The majority of the Chinese is lactose intolerant, so they can't digest dairy properly.

In Eastern culture, rice is not just food but life itself. More than 90% of the world's rice is cultivated in Asia.

Landscape of agriculture market in the Asia-Pacific region

Rice is a staple crop in many Asian countries. Other important crops include sugarcane, wheat, maize, tea, coffee, and various fruits and vegetables. China and India produce the highest volumes of rice, wheat, and tea leaves in the Asia-Pacific region.

Cereal grains and tubers are the most common food staples. There are more than 50,000 edible plants in the world, but just 15 of them provide 90 percent of the world's food energy intake. Rice, corn (maize), and wheat make up two-thirds of this.

Exports In 2022 the top exporters of Wheat were Australia ($10.2B), United States ($9.21B), Canada ($8.87B), France ($8.09B), and Russia ($5.88B). Imports In 2022 the top importers of Wheat were Egypt ($4.82B), China ($4.52B), Indonesia ($3.38B), Nigeria ($3.03B), and Turkey ($2.77B).

Russia: Fields of Abundance

Russia reigns as the world's largest wheat exporter, exporting a staggering 37.6 million metric tons in 2020.

Just 15 plant crops provide 90 percent of the world's food energy intake (exclusive of meat), with rice, maize, and wheat comprising 2/3 of human food consumption. These three are the staples of about 80 percent of the world population, and rice feeds almost half of humanity.