By: Tommy Hamamoto, U.S. Grains Council director in Japan

White sorghum, currently a niche market in Japan, is a beneficial flour ingredient for those with allergies to wheat gluten. While awareness is growing, however, white sorghum has yet to be fully recognized by Japanese customers as a food ingredient.

The U.S. Grains Council recognized this hurdle and began coordinating a multi-dimensional promotional effort in food uses of sorghum.

In November, the Council introduced U.S. white sorghum as one of the food choices for gluten allergy patients and healthy gluten free diet to approximately 10 writers and editors from national newspapers and major press. The Council’s presentation was headlined by Erica Angyal, a famous celebrity food consultant and former official nutritionist for the Miss Universe Japan team.

A gluten allergy patient herself, Angyal developed the three whole grain white sorghum flour dishes that were tasted by the reporters. Angyal emphasized that whole grain sorghum flour is the most ideal gluten free alternative flour, both flavor-wise and cooking-wise.

A nationwide Japan newspaper published a story on the tasting event, introducing white sorghum as a source of fiber and minerals, and as a new flour alternative. Training the media on white sorghum food uses and gluten free benefits has the potential to increase white sorghum demand in Japan. It is an important first step in nurturing this new market.