Black rice aka forbidden rice was known in China as the Emperor’s rice because it was apparently kept from the lower classes. It’s extremely high in anthocyanins due to its dark hue, which means amazing nutritional value and antioxidants! 👌
I’ll be honest, I do actually prefer Asian rice but I don’t really like the idea of my food travelling the world to get to me. Nor do I appreciate long production and distribution chains where numerous abuses to people and planet are often hidden for greedy profits. For a few years now I’ve been trying to reduce my consumption of imported products for this very reason.
Camargue is known for its white horses and pink flamingoes but is also a rice-growing region here in France. This means I have a choice to avoid unnecessary and overly polluting distribution in buying locally grown rice.
Admittedly, sometimes I crack and buy fair-trade, organic Basmati but after learning that these labels often fall short of meaning what we think they do, I keep this to a well-researched minimum.
Not every single product in my home is local or zero-waste yet. However, it has become a priority to make increasingly more conscious choices that don’t negatively affect my own health, others or my planet. Why not join in?
If you feel called to make your consumption more coherent, research where your food actually comes from, the processing it undergoes, the people who make it all possible and stop blindly contributing to the destruction of our home and health.
If you need some help finding alternatives, then just ask. It’s not always obvious when you choose to explore away from the beaten path but it is often so very worth it. Even if things are changing, making choices that go against the mass-produced, chemical-laden norm can at times be quite trying, so remember that I’ve got your back if you need a chat. ❤
Updated 09/01/2022