What is this food called?

It was mentioned on PRI's 'The World'. It's a sticky, white substance served in a big bowl. It's eaten by twirling it onto chopsticks. It's definitely not any kind of rice. It was apparently eaten by a certain ethnicity for many years; they survived on it. Today the food can be eaten in certain restaurants today; when natives eat it, they're supposed to think about how their ancestors depended on it for survival. It's best eaten hot, because the food is in a semi-solid state upon serving. I'm pretty sure that whatever the food is, it's a part of Asian culture.