Assamica Agro Blogs

A bowl of white rice is a nice evening meal, and a satisfying one at that. But how many of you know that there’s a distant, darker cousin of white rice you’ve hardly heard of? Yes, Black Rice is a thing for real, and this article elaborates on this lesser known, much healthier variety of rice. Keep reading. To speak of its gastronomical legacy, Black Rice was a part of Chinese royal food culture. Barring a handful of wealthy families and kinsmen, this unique variety of rice wasn’t available for the general public for consumption. And it continued to be an ‘elite’ staple, which earned it a new label - ‘The Forbidden Rice’ or ‘The Emperor’s Rice’. Health Benefits of Black Rice Black Rice is a powerhouse of nutrition. It’s incredibly healthier, and was primarily consumed by Chinese royals for the better functioning of stomach, liver and kidney. It’s a potent antioxidant agent with healing benefits for diabetes, and also supports heart and brain-related activities. Moreover, it’s...

What is Black Rice? Black rice is a range of rice types of the species oryza sativa L. It is also known as purple rice, some of which are glutinous rice. Forbidden rice earned its name because it was once reserved for the Chinese Emperor, for whom it was meant to ensure health and longevity. Forbidden Rice is a medium-grain, non-glutinous heirloom rice with a deep purple hue and a nutty, slightly sweet flavor. Varieties include Indonesian black rice and Thai jasmine black rice. Black rice is known as chakhao in Manipur which is an Indian state on the eastern border with Myanmar, where desserts made from black rice are served at major feasts. Black rice is a source of iron, vitamin E, and antioxidants (more than in blueberries). The bran hull (outermost layer) of black rice contains one of the highest levels of anthocyanins found in food. The grain has similar amount of fiber to brown rice and, like brown rice, has a mild, nutty taste. It  has a deep black color and when cooke...