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Recipe: Purple Forbidden Rice Pudding | Free People Blog


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Super simple, so yum.

I make mine with a layer of almond flan on top.  I pour the liquid flan into the bottom third of an upside-down conical container, let it firm up, then put the forbidden rice pudding on top of that.  When the whole thing is inverted and plated, it's really stunning.  It looks like a snow-capped mountain.

Why is it called forbidden rice?

The name comes from the legend that it was reserved for emperors in ancient China because of its nutritiousness and rarity.

It's good for you!

Black rice (also known as purple rice or forbidden rice) is a range of rice types, some of which are glutinous rice. Varieties include but are not limited to Indonesian black rice and Thai jasmine black rice. Black rice is high in nutritional value and contains 18 amino acids, iron, zinc, copper, carotene, and several important vitamins[citation needed]. The grain has a similar amount of fiber to brown rice[1][unreliable source?] and like brown rice, has a mild, nutty taste. In China, black rice is claimed to be good for the kidney, stomach and liver[citation needed]; these claims have not been independently verified.

Black rice is a deep black color and usually turns deep purple when cooked. Its dark purple color is primarily due to its anthocyanin content, which is higher by weight than that of other colored grains but more limited in the number of different anthocyanin species present.[2] [3] It is suitable for making porridge and it can also be used for making dessert, traditional Chinese black rice cake or bread.

In China, noodles made from black rice have been produced.

Thai black jasmine rice, while not as prevalent as the white and brown varieties, adds more vibrant color to meals, as well as providing additional health benefits.

Sounds delicious.

More on the health benefits of anthocyanins:

Cognitive Function A study published in the "Journal of Neuroscience" in 1999 that was conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture at the Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts, investigated the effects of anthocyanins on rats. The study found that the rats that received anthocyanins were less likely to suffer from age-related loss of memory and motor function. The loss of brain fat is a marker of brain aging that was also reversed when blueberry extract was administered to the rats, notes the "Journal of Neuroscience."

Reduced Inflammation One of the most important activities if anthocyanin is its high antioxidant effect. By definition, antioxidants prevent important cells in your body from being oxidized by not only removing the products of oxidation called free radicals, but also by offering themselves up for oxidation instead. When you ingest anthocyanin, it is secreted in the thin layer of cells that line your entire cardiovascular system and lends its antioxidant power to those cells. According to a study conducted by researcher Mary Ann Lila, which was published in 2004 in the "Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology," anthocyanins can protect your cardiovascular system from oxidative stress and also prevent the degradation of fat into dangerous compounds in your blood.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/345698-what-are-the-health-benefits-of-the-anthocyanins-in-blueberries/

So... More blueberries = Healthier brain? Yes please!

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