Black rice is one of several black-colored heirloom plants producing rice variants such as Indonesian Black Rice, forbidden rice, or wild rice. High in nutritional and medicinal value, Forbidden Rice is rich in iron and considered a blood tonifier. Unlike other black rice from Asia, it is not glutinous or rough. This grain is high in fiber and has a deep, nutty taste. The deep color of black forbidden rice suggests the presence of phytonutrients. It has a relatively high mineral content (including iron) and, like most rice, supplies several important amino acids. Only a few of the many varieties of potato are commercially grown; others are heirlooms. ... Binomial name Oryza sativa L. Rice (Oryza sativa) is a species of grass in the genus Oryza, native to tropical and subtropical southeastern Asia, where it grows in wetlands. ... Forbidden Rice Forbidden Rice is an heirloom Rice which is black when raw and dark purple when cooked. ... Species Zizania aquatica Zizania latifolia Zizania palustris Zizania texana The four species of wild rice comprise the genus Zizania, a group of grasses that grow in shallow water in small lakes and slow-flowing streams. ...

It was enjoyed at the court of the ancient Chinese emperors for its nutritional properties and as an aphrodisiac (hence the name forbidden rice). Most references say that it was reserved for the Emperor’s table, and since it’s considered an aphrodisiac, it was probably shared with the emperor’s consorts, as well as other members of his family and the court at his discretion.