Rice – A Colourful Grain

Colours of Rice

White Rice

Widely consumed in Asian countries as a staple food, this rice is white because once the hull is removed the bran is polished to become white.

Brown Rice

In the quest of cutting down refined grains, the consumption of this rice is becoming popular in developed countries. Once the hull is removed, the brown bran that is left unpolished gives the colour for this rice.

Purple Rice

Also known as black rice, the large-scale production of this rice in China was restricted, once upon a time. It gets its colour from a pigment called anthocyanin, just like the red rice.

Golden Rice

Being a genetically modified rice, this rice was created in order to address the lack of Vitamin A issue from food in the developing countries. The beta-carotene in the rice gives the golden hue.

Red Rice

Used to be produced in Thailand, Bhutan , Camargue and now in Malaysia as Primera Rice, the deep red bran layer of this rice is the way it is due to the presence of anthocyanin pigment in the pericarp of the rice.