Chinese Black Rice

Black rice is that rare trifecta of delicious, healthy, and aesthetically pleasing. This dark-colored rice, which is a deep purple-black, has alternate names including purple rice, forbidden rice, and emperor's rice. It has a rich, complex flavor, with a distinct nuttiness and a hint of sweetness from the anthocyanin pigments.

Oryza sativa is the cultivated form of wild rice, and it has been part of Asian culinary culture for the last 7,000 to 9,000 years. Historical evidence shows that cultivated rice first appeared in China and spread to other regions across Asia. This cultivated rice came in a range of colors, including red, brown, white, and black due to natural changes in the rice grain's outer layer. Wild rice was only one color: red.