Description

Black rice is healthy, packed with protein and fiber. Learn how to cook black rice using black sticky rice (black glutinous rice), and make this Southeast Asian sweet dessert.

BLACK RICE

What is black rice? Black rice is a type of rice grain which is black in color. According to Wikipedia, it belongs to the species of Oryza Sativa. Black rice is sometimes referred as purple rice or forbidden rice.

BLACK RICE VARIETIES

There are three (3) main varieties:

1. Black sticky rice
2. Black Japonica rice
3. Chinese black rice

Black sticky rice is a long-grain glutinous rice; they are common in many Southeast Asian countries.

Black Japonica rice is a mixture of black short-grain japonica rice and medium-grain red rice. They are great for rice salads.

Chinese black rice is also known as forbidden rice. They are grown in China and eaten as a porridge. Chinese black rice is not sticky. (Source: Masterclass.com)

In summary, some black rice are sticky in nature, and hence they are also called black sticky rice or black glutinous rice. However, not all black rice are sticky!

HEALTH BENEFITS OF BLACK RICE

Black rice is one of the healthiest rice grains. It’s packed with nutrients and comes with lots of health benefits:

• Higher in protein compared to brown rice>
• Loaded with fiber and iron while low in fat.
• Offers the highest in antioxidants of all the rice varieties.
• Promotes heart health and may prevent cancer.
• Gluten free!
• Promotes healthy eyes.