Red rice is a variety of
rice
Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly '' Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and ''Porteresia'', both wild and domestica ...
that is colored red by its
anthocyanin
Anthocyanins (), also called anthocyans, are water-soluble vacuolar pigments that, depending on their pH, may appear red, purple, blue, or black. In 1835, the German pharmacist Ludwig Clamor Marquart gave the name Anthokyan to a chemical co ...
content. It is usually eaten
unpolished or partially polished, and has a red
bran
Bran, also known as miller's bran, is the hard outer layers of cereal grain. It consists of the combined aleurone and pericarp. Corn (maize) bran also includes the pedicel (tip cap). Along with germ, it is an integral part of whole grains ...
layer, rather than the more common pale brown. Red rice has a nutty flavor. It has the highest
nutritional value among rices eaten with the bran intact.. Some red rice has a low
glycemic index
The glycemic (glycaemic) index (GI; ) is a number from 0 to 100 assigned to a food, with pure glucose arbitrarily given the value of 100, which represents the relative rise in the blood glucose level two hours after consuming that food. The GI of ...
. The rice will be slowly digested and energy will be slowly released. This will cause a slower increase in blood sugar levels. Red rice contains high
antioxidant
Antioxidants are compounds that inhibit oxidation, a chemical reaction that can produce free radicals. This can lead to polymerization and other chain reactions. They are frequently added to industrial products, such as fuels and lubricants ...
levels that reduce
free radical
A daughter category of ''Ageing'', this category deals only with the biological aspects of ageing.
Ageing
Ailments of unknown cause
Biogerontology
Biological processes
Causes of death
Cellular processes
Gerontology
Life extension
Metabo ...
s in the organism. It is also a richer source of iron, magnesium, calcium and zinc than white rice.
Varieties
Varieties of red rice include:
* Rakthashali, a rare rice variety of Indian rice, often mentioned in
Ayurveda
Ayurveda () is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. The theory and practice of Ayurveda is pseudoscientific. Ayurveda is heavily practiced in India and Nepal, where around 80% of the population repor ...
and
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or ''dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global po ...
* ''
Oryza longistaminata'', also known as red rice
* ''
Oryza punctata'', also known as red rice
* ''
Oryza rufipogon'', also known as wild rice and red rice
* Red rice, also known as
weedy rice, a low-yielding rice variety that persists as a weed in fields of better-quality rice
* Thai
Red Cargo rice
Red Cargo rice is a type of non-glutinous long grain rice that is similar to brown rice, in that it is unpolished. The color of the bran is red, purple, or maroon. The husks of the rice grains are removed during the milling process, retaining all ...
, a non-glutinous long grain rice variety
*
Bhutanese red rice, a medium-grain rice grown in the Kingdom of Bhutan in the eastern Himalayas
*
Camargue red rice
Camargue red rice is a variety of red rice cultivated in the wetlands of the Camargue region of southern France.Steven Fallon, Michael Rothschild, ''France'', Lonely Planet, 2000, p. 3/ref>
History
Red wild rice had traditionally grown in the m ...
, a relatively new variety of rice cultivated in the wetlands of the Camargue region of southern France
*
Matta rice Kerala Matta rice, also known as Rosematta rice, Palakkadan Matta rice, Kerala Red rice, and Red parboiled rice, is an indigenous variety of rice grown in Palakkad District of Kerala. It is popular in Kerala and Sri Lanka, where it is used for
idlies
Idli or idly () is a type of savoury rice cake, originating from the South India,popular as breakfast foods in Southern India and in Sri Lanka. The cakes are made by steaming a batter consisting of fermented black lentils (de-husked) and rice ...
and
appams, and eaten plain.
* Ulikan or mini-angan, heirloom red rice from
Ifugao
Ifugao, officially the Province of Ifugao ( ilo, Probinsia ti Ifugao; tl, Lalawigan ng Ifugao), is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital is Lagawe and it borders Benguet to the ...
and
Kalinga,
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
* Arroz da terra, an heirloom red rice cultivated in Northeastern
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
(States of
Rio Grande do Norte
Rio Grande do Norte (, , ) is one of the states of Brazil. It is located in the northeastern region of the country, forming the northeasternmost tip of the South American continent. The name literally translates as "Great Northern River", re ...
and
Paraíba
Paraíba ( Tupi: ''pa'ra a'íba''; ) is a state of Brazil. It is located in the Brazilian Northeast, and it is bordered by Rio Grande do Norte to the north, Ceará to the west, Pernambuco to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Paraíb ...
) since the 16th century.
*
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
red rice varieties are Udang Besar, Udang Halus, Katek Merah, Silah Merah, MRQ98, MRQ99, MRQ 100 and UKMRC-9. UKMRC-9 is the new red rice varieties in
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
, developed through
plant breeding
Plant breeding is the science of changing the traits of plants in order to produce desired characteristics. It has been used to improve the quality of nutrition in products for humans and animals. The goals of plant breeding are to produce cr ...
program.
Dishes
*
Red Rice, a traditional
Gullah
The Gullah () are an African American ethnic group who predominantly live in the Lowcountry region of the U.S. states of Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina, within the coastal plain and the Sea Islands. Their language and cul ...
Lowcountry dish, similar to West African
jollof rice
Jollof (), or jollof rice, is a rice dish from West Africa. The dish is typically made with long-grain rice, tomatoes, onions, spices, vegetables and meat in a single pot, although its ingredients and preparation methods vary across differe ...
.
See also
*
Wehani rice, a variety of aromatic brown rice developed in the late 20th century
*
Red yeast rice, white rice fermented with a red mold, used in East Asian cuisine and Chinese traditional medicine
* Some of the Asian liquors known as
arrack are made by fermentation of red rice.
References
{{Varieties of rice
Rice varieties