What kind of rice is Donglan black rice? Introduction to its origin and characteristics
Basic information
Black rice is called "Hou Mo" in the Zhuang language. It gets its name because the husk and the grains are purple-black both inside and out. This rice is produced in Donglan County, Guangxi, so it is also called "Donglan black rice".
Donglan black rice is a rare rice variety developed through long-term selection by farming families from wild black rice in the high-cold mountainous areas of Donglan County. It has a cultivation history of more than 400 years and is a treasure among grains. It contains as many as 18 amino acids, 8 of which are essential to the human body, with the highest levels of threonine and lysine. Its crude protein, crude fat, thiamine, riboflavin and mineral nutrients are all higher than those of other rice varieties. In addition, black rice also contains fat, calcium, phosphorus, iron and many other nutrients, and has the effects of nourishing yin and tonifying the spleen, strengthening and warming the liver, and improving eyesight and promoting blood circulation. Besides being used as a nourishing food for postpartum women, the weak and the elderly, it can also treat ordinary bruises, rheumatism and so on, so it is also called "medicinal rice". Li Shizhen's Compendium of Materia Medica and ancient pharmacopoeias record in detail: "Black rice has the effects of nourishing yin and tonifying the kidney, strengthening the spleen and warming the liver, replenishing qi and blood, promoting body fluid and moistening the stomach, invigorating the tendons and strengthening the bones, promoting bowel movements and stopping diarrhea, and resisting aging and preserving complexion." Long-term consumption has the effect of strengthening the body and prolonging life, so the ancient imperial court listed black rice as the preferred tribute rice. The black rice wine brewed from this rice is rich and fragrant, with an excellent taste, and is an excellent banquet wine for distinguished guests.
Donglan black rice is a photoperiod-sensitive, medium-late-maturing glutinous rice, with a whole growth period of 135-138 days, a plant height of 120-125 cm, wide, thick and long leaves, medium tillering, purple grains and black rice. Its seed-setting rate is about 65%. It has the characteristics of shade tolerance, cold tolerance and barren tolerance, and is very suitable for cultivation in fields in high-cold mountainous areas. When planted alone, the yield is generally 350 kg per mu, and when mixed with hybrid rice, the yield is generally 100 kg per mu. After many years of production and cultivation verification, the rice quality traits and yield of this variety are relatively stable, making it an ideal high-quality rice variety. At present, the planting scale is about 5,000 mu.