Delicious, nutrient-dense and easy to cook, Riceberry is the amazing creation of the Rice Science Centre of Thailand’s Kasetsart University, officially named and released for mass cultivation and consumption since 2005.
It is a long-grain hybrid of the local non-glutinous purple rice Jao Hom Nin, and the Hom Mali Rice Khoa Dawk Mali 105 (both variants of Jasmine Rice). Cultivated in the cool North and North-East regions of Thailand, riceberry is grown with wholly organic methods throughout the year and takes about 4 months till harvest. It is most suitably planted during the rainy season in August till December.
Riceberry is quite literally the latest pride of Thailand, standing out with its unique raw reddish black colour that turns dark purple when cooked, as well as a long list of great health benefits in preventing chronic illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, obesity and cancer. It’s been highly promoted around the world and is known as the new ‘super grain’ of Thailand.
Riceberry’s Wholesome Goodness
Riceberry is a whole grain rice with only the husk removed in the milling process, leaving the highly concentrated nutrients in the bran. Natural anthocyanin gives riceberry its rich colour – a soluble antioxidant compound that inhibits cell damage and lowers cholesterol in your body. Riceberry is packed with other antioxidants as well, including beta carotene, gamma oryzanol and vitamin E. All these help to eliminate free radicals and the growth of cancer cells.
Dichloromethane and methanol extraction of Riceberry rice reveals the presence of chemoprotective compounds in Riceberry bran including beta-carotene and lutein, which are not found in white rice. Additional compounds – polyphenol, tannin and catechin levels in Riceberry were found to be 3-10 times higher than those in normal brown rice. Most impressive of all are the high levels of vitamin B1, B2, B3 and B9 in dark purple Riceberry. Notably, 100g of Riceberry contains 48 µg folate (vitamin B9). Flavones found in Riceberry such as apigenin, phytosterols, and triterpenes like lupeol have been shown to confer chemoprotective properties in a variety of human cancer cell lines including Caco-2 (colon cancer), MCF-7 (breast cancer) and HL-60 (leukemia) with the most notable effects being on the HL-60 cell line. Specifically, the compound gramisterol has been shown to prevent acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML) by increasing IFN-γ production which in turn protects the dysfunctional immune system of leukaemic mice by enhancing transcription signal controlling proliferation and functions of hematopoietic cells in the spleen. Together with IFN-γ, gramisterol efficiently facilitates leukemic mice immune system modulation leading to an improvement of the AML condition (1).
Hydrolysed Riceberry Bran Extract (HRBE) has been shown to specifically inhibit the colon cancer cell lines growth rather than normal cell line (human fibroblast). In addition to cancer prevention, studies reveal that the supplementation of Riceberry bran (up to 41%, w/w) in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats fed a high fat diet ameliorates hyperglycaemia, hyperlipidaemia, oxidative stress and inflammation as proven by effects on biochemical parameters such as blood glucose and insulin levels. It is proposed that these are the effect of increased antioxidant levels on insulin tolerance and reduced B cell apoptosis which subsequently improve liver and pancreas function (2)
While other types of carb food have higher glycemic Indexes (GI) which gives your bloodstream more sugar, riceberry has a medium to low GI, and thus lowers your overall sugar intake.
The abundance of fibre also helps your digestion, lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels.
All that means eating riceberry can help keep you fit, nourish your skin, prevent wrinkles and slow your aging! We can go on with the benefits, but you get the picture.
Developed Over A Generation
Don’t just take our word for it., search on the internet, research articles and you will find that this super grain is truly a wonder. Years in the making, this rice is truly a work of art that has a list of proven health benefits that goes on and on. It’s the perfect vehicle to eat with a stir-fry, to absorb saucy curries, to accompany stews or broths chocked full of vegetables or meat, or even to use as a quick and simple side to a pan-seared steak and a tossed salad. If you like the taste of white jasmine rice but want to pump up your nutrient intake and get some health benefits along the way then this rice was developed just for you. When cooked it remains light, fluffy and fragrant and cleverly uses the very best characteristics of it’s crossbred parent rice grains. The benefits of Riceberry are undeniable.
The organic purple rice boasts an unprecedented 81 antioxidants, and as the medical research field expands, there’s potential to exploit these in a therapeutic context – elevating it from a nutraceutical to a first line treatment. To date, there are 65 research projects focused on Riceberry with 39 patent applications and 18 endorsed patents. Notably, Riceberry bran is loaded with powerful antioxidants, anti-inflammatory agents and vital health-promoting compounds that can help to lower the risks from disease and this is just the beginning of the health benefits discovered so far…..
Versatile, Tasty and Easy To Cook!
Riceberry has a rich fragrance with a tender, chewy texture and a light sweetness that goes perfect with any stir-fried, grilled, soup and braised cuisines. Its mild nutty flavour is also great for rice-based salads, while its glutinous quality makes it awesome for desserts.
Cooks similar to brown jasmine rice but this superfood is another level and can be combined with white jasmine rice
Best part? Unlike other wholegrain rice that takes forever to cook, riceberry cooks just like brown jasmine rice. Rinse thoroughly to remove dust and excess starch, put about 1.5 parts water to your amount of riceberry, and steam till the water is absorbed or do what the professionals do and use a good rice cooker!
Where to buy?
You can buy this rice from any good Asian supermarket or online from the following:
Buy in the UK at https://yum-asia.com/uk/product/riceberry-premium-nutritious-whole-grain-rice-1kg/
Buy in Europe at https://yum-asia.com/eu/product/riceberry-premium-nutritious-whole-grain-rice-1kg/
Grain At A Glance
| Name Of Grain | Riceberry |
|---|---|
| Grain Colour | Pink/Purple |
| Grain Length | 7.2mm |
| Grain Length To Width Ratio | >3 |
| Taste | Slightly sweet |
| Fragrance | Jasmine, berry |
| Texture | slightly sticky, clingy |
| Used For | Asian dishes or general use |
| Grown | Roi et, Thailand |
Nutrutitional Facts (per 100g/ml)
| Calories | 360kcal or 1506kJ |
|---|---|
| Fat / Lipids – of which are saturated | 3g (0g) |
| Carbohydrates – Fibres – Sugars | 74g 24g 0g |
| Protein | 8.2g |
| Salt | 0g |
(1) 4. Somintara, S., Leardkamolkarn, V., Suttiarporn, P., & Mahatheeranont, S. (2016). Anti-Tumor and Immune Enhancing Activities of Rice Bran Gramisterol on Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. PloS one,11(1), e0146869. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0146869
(2) 5. Prangthip, P., Surasiang, R., Charoensiri, R., Leardkamolkarn, V., Komindr, S., & Yamborisut, U. et al. (2013). Amelioration of hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, oxidative stress and inflammation in steptozotocin-induced diabetic rats fed a high fat diet by riceberry supplement. Journal of Functional Foods, 5(1), 195-203. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0146869