The Benefits of Black Rice Bran and why you should buy it

There are many varieties of rice that exist in the world - thousands, infact - and this is rather mind boggling when you consider that only a few types are available for purchase in the average supermarket.

What is Black Rice?

Black rice is indeed a kind of rice that you probably will have a hard time finding in your local grocery store. It is sometimes referred to as "forbidden rice" and used to be reserved only for Chinese emperors. Black rice is not overly processed and retains the bran and germ layers that are lost in the processing of white rice. This alone makes it healthier than white rice because it contains more B vitamins and fiber but there are other benefits that you should know about, too.

Apart from the rich flavor of black rice that many people enjoy, black rice is also really healthy and contains many antioxidants that help prevent cancer.

The antioxidant in black rice that researchers are excited about is called anthocyanin. Anthocyanin is responsible for turning black rice purple when it is cooked. This substance is believed to help prevent cancer, heart disease, and other diseases.

Anthocyanin is the same antioxidant found in berries such as blueberries and blackberries but a recent study has shown that black rice bran is actually a better source of antioxidants! It's cheaper too!

Black rice, like brown rice, takes longer to cook than white rice. A good idea when cooking black rice is to soak it in water for about an hour before cooking to help soften it up. And when you do cook it, add a bit more water than you normally would - you might have to experiment a little with this.

You can cook black rice in a rice cooker, too. Again, just use a little more water and give it a bit more time

Because of its nutty, slightly sweet flavor, black rice makes a great choice for desserts. Pair it with coconut milk and mangoes for a really special rice dessert popular in Thai restaurants. The purple color of the rice will spill out into the coconut milk to help create a beautiful presentation for your dessert.

Black rice really can be used as a substitute for any of your white rice recipes. However, it goes particularly well with fish and vegetables.

Black rice is one of those foods that you will probably not find in your grocery store (yet). However, you might be able to find it at a whole foods store or at an Asian market.

The other option is to buy black rice online through Amazon.

Check out some of the black rice available on Amazon, below: