Rice is grown in many countries, and from Asia come several varieties that are red.
Rice, one of the world's leading sources of nutrition for centuries, comes in hundreds of varieties and in many other colors besides the expected shades of brown. Several varieties of rice are an appealing red color. Red rice grain has a more complex taste and contains more nutritious, fiber-filled bran than many lighter-colored rices.
Himalayan Red Rice
Himalayan red rice is similar to the long-grain brown rice that is a health-food staple in the United States. Its outer bran layer is what gives it the red color.
Bhutanese Red Rice
Bhutan, a Himalayan kingdom between India and China, also has a red rice. Unlike the Himalayan red rice detailed above, Bhutanese red rice is a short-grained variety and cooks more quickly than long-grain red or brown rices.
Thailand's Red Rice Varieties
Thailand has two well-known varieties of red rice: coral red jasmine rice and red cargo long-grain rice. Both are high-fiber rices with a nutty, strong flavor and aroma. Coral red rice grains are fully red, not just red in the hull, and when cooked as part of a dish, the red color will spread to the remainder of the foods.
Chinese Red Yeast Rice
A type of rice that is deliberately grown to be red is red yeast rice. It's cultivated in Asian countries, especially China, by growing a yeast onto rice. An extract from the rice is marketed as a health supplement. According to MayoClinic.com, red yeast rice was used as a digestive and circulatory aid as far back as 800 A.D. in China.
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