Asia's hunger for bread and pastries boosts wheat demand

A woman chooses a sandwich during lunchtime at a bakery in central Seoul, South Korea, Oct 13, 2015. Photos: Reuters/Kim Hong-Ji

Asia is losing some of its appetite for rice in favour of wheat, a trend that is nowhere more pronounced than South Korea where bread and pastries have become a new staple.

From working mothers, who find toast more convenient to prepare for breakfast, to city dwellers flocking to new eateries for baguettes, South Koreans are at the forefront of an Asia-wide trend that has seen wheat demand climb at nearly twice the rate of rice consumption since 2008.