Wheat was introduced to China 3.5 kya, and it’s not clear to me that it ever became a staple.
Eh? I was taught in my classes that wheat was the staple crop of northern China in the same way that rice was the staple crop of southern China, and this was one of the distinguishing traits of the two general regions. And googling “China wheat” I find links like https://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/14/world/asia/14china.html where there is serious international and Chinese concern over problems with the large Chinese wheat crop.
I was linking northern China with sorghum and millet, as I recalled those as original crops domesticated there. I shouldn’t have been surprised that wheat eventually dominated there, though, so thanks for pointing that out.
Eh? I was taught in my classes that wheat was the staple crop of northern China in the same way that rice was the staple crop of southern China, and this was one of the distinguishing traits of the two general regions. And googling “China wheat” I find links like https://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/14/world/asia/14china.html where there is serious international and Chinese concern over problems with the large Chinese wheat crop.
I was linking northern China with sorghum and millet, as I recalled those as original crops domesticated there. I shouldn’t have been surprised that wheat eventually dominated there, though, so thanks for pointing that out.