Product Highlights

– 100% Natural. No Added Colour or Flavour
– Black Rice from Manipur
– Gluten Free, High Fiber rice.
– Rich in Antioxidants
– Contain Health Beneficial Anthocyanins.
– Good for Hearth health & Eye health
– May Aid weight loss.

Product Details

Black rice from Manipur, a 100% naturally grown product, is indigenous to the lands of Manipur. It is popularly known as Chak-hao in Manipur. It is free of chemicals for it is grown using natural fertilizers. Black rice is glutinous rice that is bereft of added flavours or colours. It has a mild nutty flavour, similar to the taste of brown rice. It receives its black colour from the antioxidant named anthocyanin. The rice takes a dark purple colour when cooked. Hence it received its name purple rice. It is dense and chewy and based on the cooking black rice can also be quite sticky. Black rice is suitable for creating porridge, dessert, bread, and noodles. It is generally eaten during community feasts as Chak-hao kheer.

Namsesu takes the lead in offering its customers the original Black rice straight out of Manipur, which is grown naturally in local villages, collected, and packed locally, thus ensuring the necessary hygienic aspects.

Black rice benefits

Below are some of the black rice benefits.

• Black rice is rich in antioxidants. The outer layer of black rice, called the bran and hull, contains a powerful antioxidant called anthocyanin. Interestingly, the level of anthocyanin content in black rice is higher in comparison to other grains.
• It promotes healthy brain function. As per research, anthocyanin helps improve learning and memory functioning.
• It has anti-inflammatory properties. It is effective in reducing skin allergies.
• Studies show that phytochemicals present in black rice reduce bad cholesterol, which keeps the overall cholesterol under check

Black rice GI tag

Black rice or Chak-hao, the scented glutinous rice received its GI tag quite recently. A product receiving a GI status is an indication of identifying goods as produced from a particular area, having a particular quality attributable to its geographical origin. GI tag plays a major role in trade and preserving traditional skills.

Black rice has been in cultivation in Manipur for over centuries. Many traditional medicinal practitioners have used black rice as part of traditional medicine. As per the GI application filed, Chak-hao takes around 40-45 minutes to cook, thereby taking the longest time due to the presence of a fibrous bran layer and high crude fibre content. Direct sowing of presoaked seeds and transplantation of rice seedlings, raised in nurseries in puddled fields is widely practiced in the state’s wetlands.

How to cook black rice ?

Here’s a simple recipe on how to cook black rice as your desired dessert.

To initiate, soak the rice in water for about 4 to 6 hours. Then drain the water from the soaked rice. Next, boil the milk using a heavy-bottomed vessel. Turn down the high flame to a low flame once the milk starts boiling.

Now, add the soaked black rice and cook on low heat. Keep stirring and cook the Chak-Hao Kheer until the rice is cooked with the milk reduced to about half its quantity. Once the rice is cooked, take the black rice kheer off the heat. Then add sugar and cardamom powder and give it a good mix. One can serve the Chak-Hao Kheer either warm or chilled.

Black Aromatic Rice (Chak-hao)

Black Aromatic Rice locally named as Chak-hao is well known for its attractive colour and aromatic flavour and considered as on of the richest source of anthocyanin found among food grain product apart from its optimal content of vitamins, minerals, fibre, proteins, and many othe nutrients.

The uniqueness of the black aromatic rice of Manipur is, its pleasant aroma coupled with stickiness which is not common in other black rice grown in other parts of the world. Having realised the inherent unique properties, a good scope for commercial cultivation and value addition of its products for a profitable agro-business have already been envisioned with its gaining importance and demands from around the globe. It is considered to be rice variety with a higher vitamin and mineral content than both white and brown rice. Black aromatic rice owes its colour to powerful natural black colouring pigments called anthocyanins which boast an impressive antioxidant activity adding to the health benefits of this rice variety. In addition to being a good source of vitamins E, fibre and protein, black rice is shown to reduce inflamation levels in the body. According to findings, black rice consumption contributes to the prevention and management of ailments such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, hypertension, high cholestrol levels, arthritis, allergies, aging signs and even cancer.

Nutritional Value per 100 g

Total crude protein	12.15%
Total carbohydrate	72.43%
Amylose	8.27%
Total fat	4.8%
Ash	1.57%
Curde fibre	0.71%

Minerals

Calcium	24.06 mg
Magnesium	58.46 mg
Manganese	1.03 mg
Copper	4.30 mg
Cobalt	0.43 mg
Iron	23.34 mg
Total anthocyanin	69.2-74.0 mg (cyanidin 3-glucoside)
Total phenolic	500 and 577 mg (Gallic acid equivalent)

Uses and Processing Opportunities

Chak-hao is consumed mainly after being cooked as rice or kheer. Some of the value added product that can be prepared are powder, suji (flour), syrup, chocolate, beer, wine, cake, bread, flattened rice, paratha, ladoo, other sweetened food and cosmetic items. Chak-hao rice extracts could be a potential source of anti-oxidative phyto-chemicals and useful ingredient for nutraceuticals or functional food products and natural colourants rather than the toxic synthetic. Some of the nutraceutical compounds present which can be extracted economically are tocotrienols, gamma amini butyric acid, oryzanol, rice bran saccharine, lutein, zeaxanthin, butylate hydroanisole, phytosterol, etc.

Status of Organic Certification

2000 ha. of area under Chakhao (Black Aromatic Rice) has been fully certified under standards laid down and administered in India by APEDA i.e. National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) under MOVCDNER Phase-I and another 1000 ha of area has obtained 1st year scope certificate under MOVCDNER Phase – II.