Black Rice/Forbidden Rice

Black Rice/Forbidden Rice is that rice with a thin layer of black bran rather than the more common light brown. Forbidden rice is a rice that is black when raw and dark purple when cooked. The name comes from the legend that it was reserved for emperors in ancient China because of its nutritiousness and rarity.

Characteristics of Black Rice

• Black rice could be either medium or long grain.
• Precooked black rice has white kernels inside the black bran.
• When cooked, "forbidden rice" has the smell of freshly popped popcorn and turns the water that it is boiling in a brilliant purple color.
• Once cooked, the rice becomes a whole grain texture.

Usage of Black Rice

• Black rice gives a particularly cohesive characteristic and is made into various stir fry, stuffing, casseroles, and side dishes.
• The deep color of black forbidden rice suggests the presence of phytonutrients.
• Forbidden rice is rich in iron and considered a blood tonifier.
• Unlike other black rice from Asia, it is not glutinous or rough. This grain is high in fiber.
• This rice is high in nutritional and medicinal value,
• It has a relatively high mineral content (including iron) and, like most rice, supplies several important amino acids.

Forbidden rice is popular with vegetarians because it has a favorable nutrition profile. Desire for non-genetically modified foods has also contributed to demand for this rice.