This Rice From Manipur Has More Antioxidants Than Blueberries

Chak-Hao (Black rice) also known as "Forbidden Rice" or "Emperor's Rice," is superfood comes from the beautiful hills of Manipur. Known for its deep purplish-black hue, this indigenous grain carries not just exceptional nutritional qualities, but also centuries of cultural memory. For the Meitei people of Manipur, Chak-Hao is far more than food—it is a symbol of identity, continuity, and community resilience.

The role of Chak-Hao in Manipuri life is deeply spiritual. It symbolizes prosperity and good fortune in Manipuri culture. This rice is present at birth ceremonies, death rituals, seasonal festivals, and sacred offerings to ancestors and deities. During Chakumba, the first rice-eating ceremony for infants, families prepare Chak-Hao Kheer—a rich, sweet pudding—as a mark of good fortune and health. Its cultivation is guided not only by the monsoon but also by ancestral customs, where many farmers believe it is inauspicious to abandon its cultivation for at least three consecutive years once begun.

Black rice is grown for around 100 years in India. A larger number of production is done in Manipur during kharif season (June-October) in warm climates with a 3-6 month growing period. Most farmers cultivate it organically as chemicals reduce its yield and quality. Two types of varieties are found in Manipur- Chak-hao ‘Amubi’ and Chak-hao ‘Poireiton’. This revered grain extends across India as Tamil Nadu's Chettinad puddings and Assam's Salted Black Rice Tekeli Pitha.

Often called a “superfood,” Chak‑Hao black rice is packed with anthocyanins—antioxidants richer than those in blueberries—giving it its dark hue and combating oxidative stress, inflammation, and cardiovascular disease. It supplies high‑quality protein, fiber, iron, zinc, and has a low glycemic index beneficial for diabetes (Ising pukchat). Its unique fragrant aroma and sticky texture support gut, immune, and metabolic health with medicinal benefits.

The uses of black rice in Manipuri cuisine go far beyond the familiar pudding. It’s ground into flour for ethe‑tan flatbread, puffed into kabok snacks mixed with jaggery or sugarcane juice, and brewed into Chakhao‑atingba, a traditional celebratory liquor. Although its high fiber content slows cooking, the result is an aromatic, slightly sticky, earthy grain reserved for dishes of emotional and ceremonial significance rather than everyday meals.

Black rice cultivation also reflects a broader ethic of ecological harmony. The straw from harvested Chak-Hao is widely used for thatching roofs due to its durability and length, while the husks serve as valuable livestock feed and are also repurposed as organic manure. In some households, by-products are even used to make traditional soaps and soda-like fermentation products. This sustainable, circular use of the crop reinforces a lifestyle rooted in balance with the land.

It received the prestigious Geographical Indication (GI) tag for Manipur in 2020. Marking a significant milestone in protecting and promoting this unique indigenous variety.