Black venere rice

What is it?

Black venere or venus rice is a wholegrain rice, which is naturally black in colour and turns a purplish-black once cooked. Black rice originally comes from China but is also grown in Italy, mostly in the Piedmont region.

What does it taste like and what can I do with it?

Similar to brown rice, black rice has a nutty flavour and subtle sweetness. It lends itself well to sweet recipes such as rice pudding and porridge. It also works well with fish and seafood, in risottos paellas or salads, particularly when paired with contrastingly salty ingredients, such as feta. You can find a delicious recipe for tamarind aubergine with black rice, mint & feta on bbcgoodfood.com.

How do I cook it?

Black rice can be cooked in boiling water, but it takes longer than white or brown rice – about 30-50 minutes, depending on the brand. However, Riso Gallo has recently launched its nero venere rustico rice (pictured, right) – a black rice that has been par-boiled, so it cooks in around 18 minutes.

Is it good for me?

Black rice is richer in protein than brown rice and is also high in fibre and minerals, including magnesium, phosphorous and selenium. It also contains anthocyanins, the same antioxidants that give aubergines, blueberries and blackcurrants their deep, distinctive colour, and which are reported to have beneficial anti-inflammatory properties.

Where can I get it?

You can buy black venus rice from online grocery stores such as Ocado and abelandcole.co.uk. Biona Organic, Mr Organic and Belazu are just a few of the brands to look out for. Riso Gallo’s quicker-to-cook black venere rice is available to buy at Waitrose & Partners and on Ocado.