forbidden rice

The western idiom is "forbidden fruit" referring to the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden.

Is "forbidden rice" an eastern reference?

no, it's a special rice, from ancient china, that only the emperor was allowed to eat

Sorry but what a boring topic ...visit the hitler ones they are pretty livley

Hans Goring--

I find the topic of "forbidden rice" of great interest. If the subject bores you and you prefer the Hitler threads, perhaps you should stay with the Hitler threads.

I, too would like to know about "forbidden rice". I certainly don't want to know anything more about Hitler.

Guava--

I Googled and found (among a lot of recipes):

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1346/is_11_46/ai_79396186



Black Gold - chef at Patina prepares Forbidden Rice - Brief Article
Los Angeles Magazine, Nov, 2001 by Linda Burum

PATINA'S CHEF, WALTER MANZKE, DISCOVERED FORBIDDEN RICE SEVERAL YEARS ago while volunteering in the kitchen of the award-winning Charlie Trotter's in Chicago. When cooked, the rare Chinese grains look like black patent leather, though they're actually the deepest purple imaginable. Their taste is earthy and vaguely smoky.

At Patina, Manzke found that the rice worked beautifully as a smooth risotto, thanks to its soft and starchy qualities, which are similar to those of Italian arborio. Though unmilled, the grain lacks the crunch of brown or other colored rice, including the glutinous sweet black rice used in Southeast Asian desserts.

Legend holds that Chinese emperors were once the sole consumers of Forbidden Rice, which also goes by the name "tribute rice" because farmers would present it as an offering to the emperor. Lotus Foods, the sole importer, first discovered it a few years ago in China's southwestern autonomous minority tribal regions near Laos.

The rice was headed for extinction because younger inhabitants were migrating to China's busy cities and farmers were devoting their fields to white-rice hybrids offering higher and more profitable yields. Then the grain caught on with avant-garde chefs. Lotus Foods, convinced it could make the growing of Forbidden Rice profitable for farmers if it distributed it to restaurants, has arranged to have it grown by contract.

Manzke keeps trying new ways to serve Forbidden Rice. Its rich, almost meaty texture holds up well against the leanness of venison and other game. He pairs it with squabs flown in from Bresse, France. Manzke doesn't just serve the rice as an accompaniment: He recently presented it with roasted beets and trumpet mushrooms as the main entree on a multicourse tasting menu. In many dishes, such as biryani or paella, rice serves as a backdrop for a host of other ingredients, but Manzke prefers Forbidden Rice with a little onion, stock, and butter. "I don't like to do too much to it," he says. "It's fabulous on its own."

Guava, you may be reading too much into this. Forbidden rice may have once been only allowed for the emperor's consumption, but this lies in the realm of legend, rather than fact. Forbidden rice, a medium grain, non-glutinous black rice with a wonderful nutty flavour and many nutritional benefits, is widely availible today. It's delicious. Part of the ancient legend is that forbidden rice increased blood flow to all parts of the body, which would have made it a highly prized food in ancient China, and perhaps so highly prized that it would be reserved solely for the emperor's health. The thing is, there is no historical evidence, from what I've seen, to answer your other questions.

Ahh, Noddy, I was going to mention Lotus Foods. You beat me to it.

Show some respect will you.

GEEEEEZZZZZZZZ i was kidding around when i wrote that only me and another guy had responded i'm not criticizing.








-Hans

I'm curious, do they throw forbidden rice at gay weddings to spite Republicans?

is it as good as wild rice? I love that stuff but its hard to get.

It's different, farmerman. It is similar to the Italian Riso Nero. It's short grain, nutty, with tons of flavour, but it is not glutinous, and cooks in about 30 minutes. Great in salads, as a side dish, pilafs, and even risotto, though a stickier rice is better for that, IMO. It has a great colour when cooked. Wild rice is awesome too, but it isn't really a true rice.

Oh, I'm not talking about Arborio coloured with squid ink, re: Riso Nero. There is actually a black rice cultivated in Italy that is a descendent of the original forbidden rice strain.

Not "forbidden", "fried"!

Let's hope Bush and his cronies do indeed get "fried" at the election.

Here's a story for you...

I purchased some Forbidden Rice, thinking it was wild rice. When I started making my homemade chicken and wild rice soup I was in for a big surprise. I put in the carrots, celery, and onions, and when I came back to put in the chicken It looked like I had a pot of sautéed mushrooms in red wine! EEK! It took me a second to get over the shock and bewilderment, but then I looked at the package the rice came in and realized it wasn't wild rice. When at the store I did wonder why they were calling it Forbidden Rice. I just thought it was some sort of marketing. Pretty funny looking back. I was a little upset because my soup looked so ugly, but my boyfriend said it might turn out to be really good, despite how it looks. Well, I must say, it is pretty good. But it is ugly, so I guess I'll have to give it a new name to go with the new look. Next time I'll just cook the rice by itself. I was so intrigued that I decided to get on the net and find out what the story is on this rice, and so, here I am. Who says Forbidden Rice isn't as lively as Hitler? :wink:

I did find one site with a tidbit of detail on the Forbidden Rice lore...

In China, it's sometime called Forbidden Rice or the Emperor's Rice, since, as the story goes, during the Ming and Qing dynasties black rice was reserved for the emperor's use as a tribute to his longevity and health. In Chinese medicine, black rice is valued as a blood toner that helps balance the body's chi. In Western terms, Black Chinese rice's nutritional analysis is high in iron.

http://www.worldandi.com/public/1999/August/rice.cfm

I had a Chinese roomie in college who taught me about forbidden rice - you always cook it in a separate pot and add it at the last minute to a dish. That way it does not color the other food items. She would cook red rice (not the southern style stuff, but a red variety also imported by Lotus), forbidden (sometimes called purple or black rice) and sweet brown rice all in a separate pots. When finished- they were combined for a very unique look and taste. Most health food stores carry Lotus rice imports, but they are expensive - about $4 for 2 cups of uncooked rice.

Green Witch--

Thank you.