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Excerpt from HISTORY OF NEPAL by Pundit Shew Shanker … On reaching the top of the Chandragiri pass, a stranger is at once impressed with an idea of the denseness of the population of the valley. Besides three large towns, which are conspicuous objects in the view, there are many smaller towns and innumerable hamlets, studded all over the higher grounds and slopes of the hills; and in addition to these, in almost every field there appears to be a cottage. The natives themselves estimate the population of the valley at about half a million, and probably this is not far from the truth. Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, stands near the centre of the valley, in Lat. 27º42′N., and Long. 85º36′E. It is situated at the junction of the Bagmati and Vishnumati rivers, but lies closer to the latter, extending along its eastern bank for about a mile. When seen from above, its shape is very irregular, but it is said by the natives to resemble the Khora or sword of Devi. It is known by several names...

While sitting at a local restaurant we heard someone cancel his previous order, fried chow mein, and make a fresh order for a large burger. Moments later a friend commented about the ingredients of chow mein and burger - and after some talk we concluded that both were made of wheat. Walking back home, I began to count our daily food items that actually consist wheat, and realised that many things we eat including bread, bun, pasta, pizza, cookie, cake, roti, puri, burger, noodles, chow-chow, chow mein, macaroni, etc. are basically made of wheat. Wheat is the staple diet of human beings. It is the most produced cereal crop of all times succeeding maize and preceding rice. More foods are made with wheat than any other cereal grain. According to FAO , China is the largest producer of wheat followed by India, United States of America, Russia and France. This site contains a lot of information about wheat, resources for enthusiasts, and a fun section for kids as well. And do no forget to...