Maple Leaf Black Glutinous Rice

Maple Leaf Black Glutinous Rice

　　Maple Leaf Black Glutinous Rice

　　 The enchanting Lianshan Bay in Libo, Guizhou, is not only famous for its unique spiritual mountains, beautiful waters, and the rich agricultural culture of the Buyi people, but also captivates visitors with its distinctive food culture.

　　Maple Leaf Black Glutinous Rice is a rare seasonal delicacy. Every mid-April, the locals of Lianshan Bay gather to pick fresh young maple leaves. After simple processes such as washing, pounding, drying, and filtering, they soak glutinous rice in the extracted juice for 20–30 minutes before steaming it to make the dish. The rice, dyed with the maple leaf juice, not only has the glossy black hue typical of glutinous rice but also takes on a fragrant, plant-like aroma. Its texture is soft and sticky, the taste mildly sweet, mild and mellow, tender and delicious. This visually delightful black delicacy is not just a treat for the taste buds but also a spiritual enjoyment.

　　Maple Leaf Black Glutinous Rice is the favorite natural food of the Buyi people in Lianshan Bay. It is easy to source and simple to prepare, so its consumption customs and preparation methods have been passed down through generations and remain popular. People often say that the locals here are brave and hardworking, wise and long-lived—and their unique diet is undoubtedly one of the reasons…

　　Some have studied the longevity and youthful appearance of Lianshan Bay’s elders in depth, taking a close look at their unique diet and conducting detailed research on the cherished Maple Leaf Black Glutinous Rice. They discovered that the leaf pigments contain what is referred to as a “longevity hormone,” which echoes Li Shizhen’s description in the Compendium of Materia Medica: “It helps stop diarrhea, promotes sleep, strengthens muscles and boosts energy; taken over time, it lightens the body and prolongs life.”

　　Maple trees are deciduous and can grow to towering heights, with lifespans of over a thousand years. In Lianshan Bay, they can be seen near village docks and in high mountain forests—they are considered sacred trees by the Buyi people. Each autumn, the maple trees create a unique landscape in the scenic area with their “red leaves covering the sky.”

　　May all visitors enjoy the summer scenery of Lianshan Bay—and don’t miss out on the local specialty: Maple Leaf Black Glutinous Rice.