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The US creates a wheat market in Southeast Asia that comes back via Jollibee. : Planet Money Southeast Asia is one of the biggest growth markets for American wheat. Where did this taste for wheat come from and who is responsible?

Planet Money

The Wheat Whisperer

The Wheat Whisperer

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Courtesy of U.S. Wheat Associates U.S. Wheat Associates hide caption

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U.S. Wheat Associates

Courtesy of U.S. Wheat Associates

U.S. Wheat Associates

In the 1950s, U.S. wheat farmers had a surplus they needed to offload. Their search for a solution landed American wheat in a region whose diet was centered on an entirely different grain—rice.

On today's episode of Planet Money, we tell the story of how America's amber waves washed over Southeast Asia and we meet the man who helped make it happen.