Native to the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, wheat is a main crop for much of Asia, and nearly every Asian culture includes bread or noodles in their diet. For many impoverished people, wheat products often are all there is to eat.

In China wheat is grown north of the Yangtze River, where the climate is much drier and cooler then in the south. (Rice is grown south of the river.) Noodles and dumplings made from wheat are the basis of northern Chinese diets.

The Uygurs of northwestern China make a round bread called girde nan that is very similar to a bagel. Dough is formed into round shapes, sprinkled with sesame seeds and water, and baked.

In Russia wheat is the most common crop, and bread, porridge, and cereal are popular.

Armenia is known for its lavash, a large, crisp unleavened wafer. Made with wheat flour, water, and salt, lavash is baked only briefly on a hot, flat surface. Then the thin bread can be stacked up and stored for months. Every day a few pieces are pulled off, sprinkled with water, reheated, and eaten.

In the Middle East bread is present at every meal, so important that they call it aish, the Arabic word for "life." This flatbread, made from flour, water, and salt, is easy to prepare over campfires, which made it a staple of the nomadic Bedoui. Aish is often dipped into olive oil or seasoned sauces.

Wheat was first grown as crops in Mesopotamia around 7,000 years ago. Wheat plants need lots of sunshine, warm temperatures, and dry weather to thrive.