Black rice is a unique product that benefits health.

Zizania (zizaniya) water (Zizania aquatica), it is also wild or black rice, Tuscarora or Chumise, is a one-year-old type of cereal plant that is not related to rice and is so called only because of the external similarity of their seeds. There is tsitsaniya from North America, where in nature it grows along the banks of water bodies. The natural range of its growth for today is small: it is the Great Lakes region on the border of Canada and the American state of Minnesota.

Another name for the Chumise is Canadian or Indian rice: it is the indigenous peoples of America who first assessed its properties, collecting this herb for many hundreds of years. Currently, black rice, whose use for the body is undeniable, is cultivated, in addition to Canada and the United States, in China and Korea. He is unpretentious and resistant to frost; Its grains are used for making cereals and flour, and stems and leaves are used for animal feed.

The nutritional value of black rice is much higher than that of most cereals: thus, 100 grams of this cereal contains 15 g of protein. It contains eighteen of the twenty amino acids that are necessary for the human body to synthesize proteins, B vitamins, as well as zinc, phosphorus, magnesium and manganese. Black rice contains a large amount of folic acid (vitamin B9), which takes part in many processes occurring in the body. For example, hematopoiesis and the formation of new cells. It is especially necessary for pregnant women, as it contributes to the proper formation of fetal organs and systems.

The human body does not produce vitamin B9 and can receive it only from the outside, with food or drugs. Black rice is the leader in the content of folic acid: to cover the daily need for it, it is enough to eat just one glass of this cereal. In it, anthocyanins - colored flavonoids - were found in large numbers. In addition to tsitsanii, many of them are found in berries - blackberries, blueberries, black currants, grapes, as well as in eggplant. It is these substances that these cultures owe their color. Anthocyanins are natural antioxidants that slow the aging of the body. However, the useful properties of rice (tsitsanii) are not limited to this: it helps maintain the elasticity and tone of blood vessels, increases immunity and lowers blood pressure. Wild rice is thus a valuable dietary product, the only drawback of which is its high price: it costs several times more than ordinary rice.

Strangely enough, but the taste of Indian rice, growing in natural natural conditions, is more pleasant than that of cultivated rice. Black rice, which is sold in supermarkets - is very hard and requires a long boil, no less than forty minutes. Nutritionists are advised to pre-soak it for the night in cold water - without this the cooking time can still increase. In extreme cases, soaking black rice in boiling water for an hour, under a tightly closed lid helps.

That is why it is often used in a mixture with conventional, long-grained - it can also be bought in supermarkets (in the departments of diet products) or in online stores. Black rice is pre-steamed - so that its cooking time does not differ from white. Both this cereal itself and the mixtures in which it is included are used, for example, for the preparation of pilaf. To do this, the groats are placed together with the meat in a saucepan, add spices and salt, pour water (2: 1) and stew for about an hour. The combination of rice with cranberries or cowberry will be successful - at the end of cooking 2-3 tbsp. L. Berries.

Very savory salad of wild rice with chicken (smoked or boiled) and fresh cucumbers. Prime it with a mixture of orange juice and apple cider vinegar, for the smell add pounded garlic, basil and greens of cilantro. Finally, from wild rice, you can prepare and dessert, pre-boiled it and mixed with sliced apples, raisins, a spoon of honey and a pinch of cinnamon. Above, the dish is sprinkled with lemon or lime juice.