Late-night monologues have gone ‘against the grain’ before—but never quite so literally. A recent joke made by Stephen Colbert on The Late Show has resulted in an educational nutritional moment for the late-night host.
The moment came when Colbert reacted to news of Trump’s tariffs on Chinese goods—a move that prompted Beijing to impose its own 10% tariff on US products including sorghum.
“Now America’s going to be neck-deep in a pile of our own sorghum,” Colbert bemoaned. “Is that good? Is that bad? There’s no way to kno-rghum! I don’t know what sorghum is.”
That sorghum query prompted a reply from the folks who would know best: the Sorghum United Foundation. “Hey Stephen, we’re so glad you asked,” a representative for the organization answered in a social media video before giving Colbert all the basic info (info-rghum?).
The foundation, which describes itself as “a global coalition championing food security, economic resilience, and sustainability through sorghum and millets” went on to explain that sorghum is a “healthy, magical” ancient grain—one that is “easy to farm, sustainable… [and] helps feed people around the world.”
And in case that answer doesn’t clear things up enough for Colbert, the Sorghum United Foundation has a failsafe in the works. “We’ll send you a care package,” they told the host.
The group’s decision to school Colbert on what sorghum couldn’t have come a moment too soon. As it turns out, the host has been asking the same question for years. The topic first came up in a 2018 Late Show monologue about tariffs Trump had been threatening during his first term.
“No! Not our sorghum!,” Colbert decried after noting that imports of sorghum to China could be affected. “You know what this means… I hope—because what is sorghum?
“Is that the same thing as nougat?” he posited. “Is it the fluid that baked beans come in?”
Seven years later, Stephen Colbert finally has his answer.
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It’s totally delicious in syrup form. Grew up with it on waffles. My Dad was from the South, so Mom would seek it out for him. Now I’m going to have to find some. Nothing like it!
I never would have known what sorghum was if you hadn’t responded to Colbert. Sounds interesting- I’ll try it out!