Difference Between Black Rice and Blood Rice

Black rice and red ricediffer by taste and color.

Rice can be divided into many types based on its color, ranging from white, yellow, green, red, purple, brown, to black. Whether it's glutinous rice,japonica rice or indica rice,

varieties of these can be almost entirely black,

often called black rice. Black rice

is known for its high nutritional and medicinal value.According to the Compendium of Materia Medica, it has benefits such as nourishing kidneys and spleen, mending liver and eyesight, and promoting blood circulation.It is effective in treating symptoms like dizziness, anemia, white hair, and eye diseases. Black riceis a good choice for nourishment when cooked into porridge or steamed as side dish.To preserve more nutrients, black rice is often not finely processed but consumed as brown rice after hulling. With its rough texture, it's best used in making porridgerather than regular rice dishes. Before cooking, pre-soaking can help soften the grain faster by absorbing water. In summer, soak for one day, and two days in winter. Generally, black japonica and black glutinous rice are best for making porridge. When cooking black indica rice,

adding some regular glutinous rice

can increase its stickiness. Rice with a red pericarp is called blood rice, due to its sticky nature and the natural red color from its outer layer. After soaking in warm water, the red color gradually dissolves into the water over time.

Once cooked, the red outer layer separates from the kernel. Counterfeit blood rice is made by dyeing poor-quality rice with artificial colors.