Residents of Taicang have long maintained the tradition of growing sweet sorghum around the many riverside villages there.

Grown in the sandy soil of riverside areas, the stems of sweet sorghum - a strand of Sorghum bicolor - are harvested to be enjoyed as snacks. The sweet snacks are not only popular among villagers; urban residents enjoy the delicacy too.

Every part of the plant is utilized. While the stems are eaten as a snack, the tassels of the plant is a great material for making broom heads.

Sugar sorghum is a variety of cultivated sorghum containing large amounts of sugar in its stem, making it a tasty snack.

Sweet sorghum can also be used to make sugar, liquor, ethanol (alcohol), paper and fodder. Sugar sorghum wine breweries can be found in countries as far away as Brazil.

A painting depicting a sweet sorghum plant, created by Yan Wenbin in autumn, 2015. [Photo from Taicang Daily]