Yangxian Five-Color Rice

Yangxian Five-Color Rice

　　The black, red, yellow, green, and purple glutinous rice varieties are produced in Yangxian County, Hanzhong City, Shaanxi Province—the birthplace of black rice in China and the habitat of the rare crested ibis. The soil, water quality, and atmospheric conditions here all meet national green and pollution-free standards. In 2002, it won the Gold Award at the Third China Special Rice New Products Exhibition and Evaluation, and simultaneously applied for national registration of the “Crested Ibis” trademark. In 2003, it passed the Shaanxi Province Pollution-Free Agricultural Product Base Certification, and in 2004, it obtained the National Pollution-Free Agricultural Product Quality Certification.

　　The five-color rice retains its natural color, is pollution-free and non-hazardous, preserves complete nutritional components in the brown rice, is easily gelatinized, has a good taste, and serves both dietary and medicinal purposes, with excellent color, aroma, and flavor. According to tests by national certification authorities, each kilogram of five-color rice contains 137.56 mg of calcium, 79.74 mg of iron, 18.48 mg of zinc, as well as selenium, flavonoids, pigments, and various vitamins. Modern scientific research confirms that colored rice such as black rice and red rice offers significant health benefits: ① Eliminates free radicals, delays aging, nourishes yin and kidneys, strengthens the spleen and warms the liver, improves vision and blood circulation, benefits the heart; ② Improves nutritional anemia; ③ Enhances immunity; ④ Helps reduce blood lipids and prevents arteriosclerosis; ⑤ Provides anti-oxidative and anti-fatigue stress resistance; ⑥ Calms the nerves and improves sleep by enhancing the inhibitory function of the central nervous system, offering sedative effects and helping elderly people with poor sleep to fall asleep more easily. Therefore, five-color rice is an excellent nutritional supplement suitable for children and the middle-aged/elderly, and also serves as high-quality raw material for brewing, food processing, and pigment extraction.

　　　Red aromatic rice helps raise plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and enhances the body’s antioxidant capacity. It is rich in calcium, phosphorus, and iron, beneficial for calcium supplementation in the elderly and intellectual development in children, and has the functions of strengthening muscles and bones, enriching blood, and beautifying the complexion.

　　　Green fragrant glutinous rice is rich in vitamin K, fat, chlorophyll, and dietary fiber, especially with a high selenium content of 23.2 mg per 100 grams, which has certain preventive and therapeutic effects on over 40 types of diseases including cancer, heart disease, cardiovascular disease, hepatitis, gastritis, bronchitis, gastric ulcer, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, hypertension, diabetes, cataracts, and infertility.

　　　Yellow rice and purple rice not only offer the above benefits but also help strengthen the spleen and boost qi, nourish the liver, aid in weight loss, and improve skin beauty.

　　　According to the traditional Chinese medical theory of the unity of food and medicine, the color of natural foods is related to their functions: black nourishes the kidneys, white moistens the lungs, red benefits the heart, yellow strengthens the spleen, purple nourishes the liver, and green prevents cancer. Therefore, five-color rice is the most precious and naturally nutritious health treasure among all rice varieties. (Compiled from Baidu Baike)