Raoping Fragrant Rice

Raoping Fragrant Rice

　　Fragrant rice is a premium specialty of Raoping, originally produced in areas such as Xintang District and Sanrao District in the north. Nowadays, many farmers in central Raoping also grow it.

Raoping fragrant rice features round, full, and glossy grains. Held in the palm, each grain looks like a pearl. It's a treasured product among farmers in the mountainous northern Raoping region. Just adding a small shellful of this rice to a pot of plain rice fills the entire pot with the rich aroma of osmanthus, refreshing the heart and soul — hence the nickname “Pearl Rice with Osmanthus Fragrance.”

Raoping fragrant rice stimulates the appetite. First-time visitors to the mountainous northern Raoping area often find themselves so enchanted by the fragrant rice that they forget about other dishes. During festivals, local farmers steam the fragrant rice together with quality varieties like Nante, Youjian, and Shuangbai to make a special cake known as xiangguo (fragrant cake). If you have the chance to visit during these times and taste this aromatic treat, consider yourself incredibly lucky.

Raoping fragrant rice is usually used only as an ingredient for cooking rice or making cakes, not as the main component — much like how a small amount of saccharin enhances sweetness. Using too much can spoil the effect. Some people, in pursuit of an intense fragrance, make cakes purely from fragrant rice, but the result is the opposite — the cakes develop off-flavors and become unpalatable. That’s why locals call it “rice essence,” which is actually quite fitting.

The cultivation of Raoping fragrant rice has a long history. The Chaozhou Prefecture Annals record: “In places like Shipi Township and Meifeng Township in Raoping, fragrant rice is produced. It is harvested once a year, around the same time as late rice. Its grains are larger than common rice. Just a small amount is needed when cooking, and the whole pot will be filled with fragrance — a truly unique variety. Its price is also double that of regular rice, and it is only produced in Raoping in eastern Guangdong...” In the past, farmers in northern Raoping would plant fragrant rice seedlings in the center of fields surrounded by ordinary ones, to prevent passersby from stealing the fragrant spikes during rice heat periods. Nowadays, with improved social norms, most are grown in proper plots.

Raoping fragrant rice is not only an excellent ingredient for cooking and baking, but also makes a great gift. When villagers go visiting, bringing along a pack of fragrant rice and a pack of fragrant tea is enough to make them the most fragrant and esteemed guests.