You love rice and risotto, but do not you dare go beyond the classic vialone nano, carnaroli and arborio? Try the red rice and you'll fall in love with it.

Property

Red rice is a cereal of oriental origin now widely used in our country and cultivated in the Po Valley.
The most common is the integral one particularly rich in fibers and mineral salts, recognizable both for its aroma and for its thin and elongated shape.
From a nutritional point of view it is more complete and healthy than the classic white rice and is a source of phosphorus, magnesium and vegetable proteins.
Red rice, moreover, has a considerable satiating power and is therefore perfect for those on a diet.
It does not contain gluten so it can be consumed without problems even by celiacs.

Red fermented rice

A particular variety of red rice is the fermented one, indicated to those suffering from high cholesterol and therefore a great ally of the cardio-circulatory system.
Red rice is used just as a natural supplement to reduce levels of bad cholesterol in the blood.
This rice is made from common rice, which is then subjected to particular fermentation processes, for which it has an intense red color. You can find the herbal medicine or in the para pharmacies in the form of capsules or powder.

Cooking times

Being a variety of brown rice, red rice has quite long cooking times, about 35-40 minutes.
Cook in boiling water like other types of rice and should always be rinsed before cooking to remove any residues. To reduce cooking time, it can be left to soak for a few hours.

Where to buy it

Find red rice easily even in supermarkets.
If, however, you want a little refined, more fragrant and tasty, untreated and organic rice, then go to the natural food stores or the most supplied herbalists.

How to cook it

As we said, red rice should be boiled or steamed like any other type of rice.
It does not lend itself much to being risottato, but instead is perfect to prepare cold dishes rich in vegetables, meat or fish and can be used as an accompaniment to particularly seasoned recipes instead of the classic basmati rice.

If you want to try it, here are 5 recipes from our archive

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