Meishi Thai Long Grain Black Rice (Riceberry)

With Meishi, Chenab takes you on a journey through the Orient by bringing for you authentic ingredients for Cuisines from China, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia. Great for traditional Asian recipes made in professional or home kitchens. Meishi offers you Thai black rice. Thailand is known as “The Rice Bowl of Asia”. With that, you can already guess the importance of rice to the Thai people. Thai black rice, Riceberry is one of the popular rice varieties in Thailand, a cross of two renowned rice strains in the country. Riceberry is a cultivar of rice that was created by hybridizing Hom Nil (black jasmine rice) with Khao Dok Mali 105 (another type of jasmine rice). Unlike most varieties of rice, Riceberry has a strong fragrance that’s savory and almost meaty in the aroma. Because it’s a whole grain rice, the bran gives it a similar texture to brown rice; however, the interior is tender, nutty and a little sweet. It’s a long grain rice that has a reddish black color when raw, that turns purplish black when cooked. Because Riceberry is a whole grain rice, the bran and germ have not been milled off; however, unlike brown rice, it cooks in the same amount of time as white rice. The purple hue of this rice is caused by anthocyanins, which are a naturally occurring pigment and antioxidant. Riceberry differs from other whole grains – it cooks relatively fast and is prepared the same as jasmine rice. Riceberry Benefits: Thai riceberry or black rice is the new super grain that comes with amazing benefits, from power antioxidants to its anti-inflammatory agents. One of the anti-inflammatory agents present in riceberry is omega-3 fatty acids.

In addition to omega-3 fatty acids, riceberry is also rich in antioxidants.

1)Riceberry is a healthy source of carbohydrates. Compared to white rice and brown rice, black rice offers better micronutrient content.

2) Black rice is a great source of antioxidants.

3) Another excellent benefit of riceberry is helping you reach or manage your weight, ensuring you are in the healthy scale.

Cooking Method:

1) Rinse the rice thoroughly to remove any starch and dust. Place in a heavy bottomed pot using 1/1/2 cup of water for every cup of riceberry.

2) Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to the lowest setting possibe.

3) Remove from heat and allow the rice to rest for 10 minute before covering. Soaking for an hour beforehand reduces cooking time. Discard soaking water.

A great way to use riceberry is in rice porridge or congee, a classic breakfast in Asia. Think of it as our version of oatmeal! Because the riceberry rice is cooked until super soft, if you’re not a fan of the fibers of whole grain rice, you’ll barely taste it in this dish!