I love this stuff! I first tasted red rice at a local bistro. It was served with a delicious Thai seafood curry. The curry was fabulous, but the rice really intrigued me. So I asked our waiter about it. He, in turn, asked the chef. I was told that it was an Asian red rice available in local grocery stores. Well, I looked and could not find red rice. But... I did find Lundberg Black Japonica Rice, a blend of black and mahogany rice. Not exactly the same, but close enough. So I decided to give it a try. It was great! It's a "...whole grain brown rice blend of short grain black rice and medium grain mahogany rice... ." So much better than the short grain brown rice we've been eating for over 30 years. It's chewy with a nutty flavor that doesn't need salt. The grains stay separate, and it doesn't get mushy at all.
I've been using it regularly now. My husband makes it in our rice cooker. One of the things I really like about this rice is that I can reheat the leftovers without losing any texture. I can add some water & flavorings or broth, cook it until the liquid evaporates, and still have wonderfully chewy & tasty whole grain rice. No mush!
I've been able to get this rice at my local grocery store and a local natural foods store. Lundberg Farms is headquartered in California, so their products are readily available in my area.
4 comments:
Oh I will have to look for this in my local grocer, I love rice.
I recently picked up the same rice to substitute for wild rice in a recipe from The Balanced Plate by Renee Loux. It was wonderful! If you don't own a copy this cook book, it's a must have! Even if you are not vegetarian or vegan, the recipes are fresh, flavorful and good for you. The recipes ask for a pinch of sea salt at the most, but mainly use fresh herbs and seasonings.
Lawren, thanks for your comments. I agree that the Japonica Rice is wonderful. The cookbook sounds good. I'm a firm believer in using good recipes but just cutting down on the salt content. I think you get better taste and variety rather than relying soley on low sodium recipes.
Erich, thanks for the link. Did you order some? I may give it a try. I really like the chewiness.
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