If you’ve ever had black rice, you know that it tastes nutty and slightly sweet, has a chewy texture, and has an unusual purple-black colour. But this one-of-a-kind rice is more than just tasty; it’s also very healthy and is becoming more and more known as a “superfood” among rice.
Beth Czerwony, RD, a registered dietitian, says that black rice has been slow to spread outside of Asia, but we are finally starting to see how healthy, tasty, and beautiful it is.
Czerwony goes into detail about black rice’s history and how it can help your health.
What is Forbidden rice?
Forbidden black rice is a type of heirloom rice that has been eaten in Asia for a very long time. It is a type of Oryza sativa, which also includes black rice from Indonesia and black rice with jasmine from Thailand.
Black rice can have either long or short grains. Black rice has never been as common as white, brown, or red rice because it is only grown on a small scale.
Early research shows that black rice has antioxidant effects that are even stronger than blueberries (if you can imagine that). It may also help strengthen your immune system and protect your body from heart disease, diabetes, and other illnesses.
Why do people call black rice “forbidden” rice?
Traditional Chinese medicine uses black rice, which is also called forbidden black rice or emperor’s rice. Once, only the rich and powerful could use it to stay healthy and live a long time. No one else could have eaten it.
Black rice used to be hard to find, but now it’s easy to find in restaurants, grocery stores, and online.
What makes black rice look so dark?
Compared to other kinds of rice, black rice has a lot more nutrients than other kinds. But it is especially full of anthocyanins, which are powerful antioxidant pigments that protect the cells in your body from damage. The strange colour of this rice comes from anthocyanins, which are also found in eggplant, acai berries, blueberries, and Concord grapes.
Why forbidden rice is good for you
Reviewing the research on forbidden rice shows that it has many benefits, like helping to:
- Help people lose weight.
- Help your eyes.
- Protect yourself from getting cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
- Lessen pain and swelling.
Czerwony says we need to do more research, but what we know so far about the nutrition of black rice is good.
“We know that forbidden rice is full of nutrients and antioxidants that help keep our bodies healthy and free of disease,” she says. “It’s also low in sugar, fat, and salt, which is important if we want to eat better and stay healthy.”
Forbidden black rice may help:
1. Improve nutrition
Black rice is full of good things for your body to work well, like vitamin E, calcium, and potassium. It has more protein, fibre, and iron than other types of rice, and it also has a lot of:
- Amino acids.
- Antioxidants.
- Acids from fat.
For example, 100 grammes (1 cup) of cooked black rice has 2.4 milligrammes of iron, which is more than 10 times as much as white rice that hasn’t been enriched. It also has 8.89 grammes of protein, which is more than white rice’s 6.94 grammes.
2. Take care of your eyes
Carotenoids are a type of antioxidant that helps protect the healthy cells in your eyes, especially in your retinas. Carotenoids have also been shown to reduce the harmful effects of ultraviolet (UV) light and stop cancer cells from growing. Vitamin E in anthocyanin also helps keep your eyes, skin, and immune system healthy.
3. Help manage diabetes
Antioxidants and chemicals that come from plants (called phytochemicals) can help your body respond better to insulin. This helps you use glucose better. It makes your body take in sugar more slowly and lowers the amount of sugar in your blood.
4. Keep from getting sick
There is more of the antioxidant anthocyanin on the outside of a grain of black rice than on other types of rice and many other foods. Antioxidants help keep your heart healthy, make your brain work better, and keep you from getting cancer, which is caused by free radicals that damage your cells.
Black rice’s protein and fibre can also help to:
- Fix up the health of your digestive system.
- Avoid getting fat.
- Help people lose weight.
5. Get rid of swelling
Black rice has nutrients and antioxidants that come from plants that help your body’s swelling go down. Even though more research needs to be done, Czerwony says that eating black rice may help people with inflammatory conditions like arthritis and dermatitis feel better.
Does forbidden rice contain gluten?
Gluten is a protein that is found in some types of rice (like instant and flavoured rice) and whole-grain products with wheat, rye, and barley. Black rice doesn’t have gluten because it isn’t made from those grains. Czerwony says that people with celiac disease or who can’t eat gluten can safely eat black rice.
What dangers does forbidden rice pose?
Even though black rice is generally safe (and no longer just for emperors), it still has arsenic, which is a heavy metal. All rice does. If you don’t want to eat too much arsenic, rinse dry black rice before cooking it. It’s also best to only eat a small amount of black rice at a time, since too much of it can cause stomach problems like upset stomach, bloating, or gas.
Black rice is tasty and good for you.
Do you want to know how to make forbidden rice? Because rice is chewy, it’s best to soak it for 30 to 60 minutes before cooking it. Then you can boil, fry, steam, or even cook black rice under pressure, but it usually takes longer to cook than other kinds (typically 30 minutes to 60 minutes). Follow the directions for your recipe and the brand of rice you are using.
Black rice that hasn’t been cooked can be kept for up to six months in a cool, dry, dark place in a container that can’t be opened. Cooked forbidden rice can be stored in the fridge for three to five days in a container that keeps air out.
Black rice can be used in soups, salads, stir-fries, and even desserts. You’ll soon fall in love with its nutty taste, chewy texture, and nutritional boost. Plus, it looks so fancy on your plate!