Over the last few years, sorghum has grown in popularity as a healthy, versatile food in the U.S. Yet, the ancient grain has been a food staple around the world for thousands of years. Sorghum has been the dietary foundation of more than 500 million people in 30 countries. In fact, sorghum is the fifth most important cereal grain crop in the world, largely because it grows well in an array of environments. The U.S. ranks as the largest producer of sorghum grain.
Sorghum is creating a stir as a specialty, high-end food product in Japan where health benefits play a more important role for consumers than price. Japanese consumers enjoy sorghum in pancakes, pastas and more traditional meals like salmon rice balls. While Japanese shoppers currently consume several hundred tons of food-grade sorghum per year, experts predict they will use more sorghum in the future because it’s a fresh alternative that provides a range of health benefits from high fiber to beneficial antioxidants. To learn more about the use of sorghum in Japan, visit sorghum.jp.
China is one of the leading importers of U.S. grain sorghum for many applications and has a longstanding history using sorghum in alcohol production.
Sorghum was first cultivated in Africa and was uniquely adapted to grow in similar climate. Serving as Africa’s second most important cereal grain in terms of tonnage, sorghum is an important food grain for many African countries. The United States helps meet African food needs by exporting sorghum through food aid efforts. In Africa, sorghum often is used for fermented breads, such as kisra and dosa, and stiff porridges, such as ugali, tuwo, karo and mato. Both boiled whole or pearled sorghum are also consumed throughout Africa. Couscous made from sorghum can be found in West Africa.
