The old custom of eating black rice in the fourth month of Chinese lunar calendar remains unchanged in Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Hubei, Hu'nan, Jiangxi and Anhui Provinces. It is also served in the Tomb-Sweeping Day, and more people have the rice on the eighth day of the fourth month.
The black rice originates from several legends. Legend had it in Hangzhou that Sun Bin, an intelligent general during the Warring States Period, was framed by the jealous Pang Juan. Caged in a pigsty, he survived by eating black rice balls, which resembled pig's shit and were prepared by an old jail guard using black tree leaves. Having eschewed supervision by Pang Juan's henchmen, Sun Bin became even stronger, thanks to the black rice balls. He escaped eventually and took the revenge. The first day when Sun Bin ate the black rice happened to be the first day of Chinese lunar summer season, so it has become a tradition that black rice is served on that day in Hangzhou.
According to historical records, such a custom first appeared in the Tang Dynasty, and the preparations for that vary in different periods. In the Tang Dynasty, Nan Zu leaves were crushed. Then rice was soaked in the leaf fluid, stewed and exposed to the sun. The preparation developed into a more complicated way in the Song Dynasty. White rice and water were used with Nan Zu leaves' fluid. The mixture had to be kept cold first to soften the rice before being cooked……
As a matter of fact, the black rice is a kind of purple black glutinous rice, poached in the soup of wild Chinese tallow tree leaves. The rice is soaked in the soup for half a day before being taken to a wooden steamer for steaming. |
Asia Travel 
Articles: (
Newest publication