Black Rice: Why You Should Be Eating It

Black rice is known as forbidden rice since it was only allowed to be served in the Chinese royal court, as a tribute to the Kangxi emperor of the Qing Dynasty. It’s deep black color turns deep purple when cooked. Its dark purple color is primarily due to its anthocyanin content. Black rice is high in nutritional value and contains 18 amino acids, iron, zinc, copper, carotene, anthocyanin and several important vitamins. According to a recent study by the American Chemical Society (ACS), one spoonful of black rice contains more anthocyanin antioxidants than a spoonful of blueberries. The study also showed that compared with blueberries, black rice offered more fiber and vitamin E antioxidants, with less sugar. Research has linked these nutrients to helping prevent cancer, diabetes and heart disease.  In China, black rice is claimed to be good for your kidney, stomach and liver.

Black rice takes longer to cook than white rice and should be cooked with more water to help tenderize it. A suggested rule of thumb is to soak the grain about an hour before cooking it and add a quarter cup more water than recommended. If using a rice cooker, keep an eye on it to ensure that it is not packed fuller than necessary and that it doesn’t boil over.

If you like this video please share it and you can follow me on Facebook at http://facebook.com/coachlana