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Home ► Recipes ► Thai

All About Riceberry

Updated: 05.22.25 | Marc Matsumoto | 27 Comments

4.62 from 13 votes
Riceberry is a hybrid Thai rice that's nutrient dense and yet it cooks just like regular Jasmine rice. With a stunning purple hue and savory flavor, it's being billed as the next superfood. But does it live up to the hype?
Recipe Video
Riceberry is a wholegrain rice that's loaded with nutrients and yet it cooks up just like white rice.

I discovered this relatively new cultivar of rice on a recent trip to Thailand, and it's become one of my favorite types of rice. Not only is it loaded with nutrients, it also tastes good and cooks in the same amount of time as regular white rice.

Jump to:
  • What is Riceberry Rice?
  • If you eat more than one grain of Riceberry are you eating Riceberries?
  • Where does riceberry get its color from?
  • If anthocyanins aren't beneficial, why is Riceberry called a superfood?
  • Where is Riceberry from?
  • What does Riceberry taste like?
  • How do you cook Riceberry?
  • 📖 Recipe
  • Comments

What is Riceberry Rice?

Riceberry is a cultivar that was created by hybridizing Jao Hom Nin (black jasmine rice) with Khao Dawk Mali 105 (another type of jasmine rice). It's a long grain rice that has a reddish black color when raw, that turns purplish black when cooked. Because Riceberry rice is wholegrain, the bran and germ have not been milled off; however, unlike brown rice, it cooks in the same amount of time as white rice.

If you eat more than one grain of Riceberry are you eating Riceberries?

In the same way "rice" is both the singular and plural form of the word, Riceberry is both the singular and plural name for this cultivar.

Where does riceberry get its color from?

The purple hue of this rice is caused by anthocyanins, which are naturally occurring pigments and powerful antioxidants. At the time of this writing, there is no scientific evidence to indicate these compounds have any health benefit as they are poorly conserved in the body. That being said, other flavonoids that tend to exist alongside anthocyanin-rich foods may increase the levels of antioxidants in your bloodstream.

Riceberry is a nutrient-dense cultivar of Thai rice with a stunning purple-black color.

If anthocyanins aren't beneficial, why is Riceberry called a superfood?

"Superfood" is a meaningless catchphrase that's kind of like the term "lite" (hint: there's no such word). It gives people the impression that if they eat this one thing, that's all they have to due to be healthy, which couldn't be further from the truth. That being said, Riceberry has a high concentration of beneficial nutrients, such as vitamin E, vitamin B1, iron, and omega 3 at much higher levels than in other types of rice.

My thinking around it goes like this: I love rice and will probably never stop eating it, so if I'm going to have rice, I may as well eat one that has as high a nutritional value as possible. The things that have kept me from consuming brown rice regularly are that it takes forever to cook, and the taste isn't very appealing. Riceberry fixes both of these problems, which makes it pretty super in my book.

Where is Riceberry from?

Riceberry was developed by the Kasetsart University Rice Science Center & Rice Gene Discovery Unit in Nakhon Pathom province, Thailand.

What does Riceberry taste like?

Unlike most varieties of rice, Riceberry has a strong fragrance that's savory and almost meaty in the aroma. Because this Thai cultivar is a whole grain berry rice, the bran gives it a similar texture to brown rice; however, the interior is tender, nutty and a little sweet.

The deep purple-black hue of Riceberry is indicative of it's nutrient content and it has a rich meaty flavor that pairs well with Thai food.

How do you cook Riceberry?

The process for cooking Riceberry is similar to preparing almost any kind of rice; however, there are two significant differences. The first is that you don't need to rinse it, and the second is the amount of water you use to cook it. I like using a weight ratio of 1 part rice berry rice to 2 parts water. If you're using volumetric measurements such as US cups, the ratio is more like 1 cup of rice to 1 ⅔ cups water. This results in rice that's tender on the inside but still has just a bit of chew. If you like your rice softer, you can increase the amount of water slightly and cook it for a little longer before steaming it.

As for the process, it's just a matter of adding the rice and water to a pot, then covering it and bringing it to a boil before lowering the heat and letting it simmer for twenty minutes. Once the rice is done cooking, it's important to allow the rice to continue steaming for another ten minutes off the heat without opening the lid; this step ensures the rice is tender to the core.

If you're using a rice cooker, you can use the rice cooker cup to measure out the rice; however, I recommend adding extra water, as the lines in the rice cooker are calibrated for white rice.

More Rice Cooking Tips

  • How to Cook Japanese Short-grain Rice
  • Perfect Sushi Rice
  • Japanese Garlic Rice
  • Japanese Fried Rice
  • Filipino Garlic Rice(Sinangag)

📖 Recipe

Riceberry is a nutrient-dense cultivar of Thai rice with a stunning purple-black color.

Riceberry

4.62 from 13 votes
Print Pin
Prep Time 0 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 30 minutes mins
Yield 4 servings
YouTube video

Units

Ingredients 

  • 100 grams Riceberry about 1 US cup
  • 200 grams water 1 ⅔ US cups

Instructions

  • Add the riceberry and water to a heavy bottomed pot. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil.
    Adding water and Riceberry to a heavy bottomed pot.
  • When you see a steady stream of steam escaping from the lid, turn down the heat until you don't see much steam escaping and set the timer for 20 minutes.
    Steam escaping from a Dutch oven cooking Riceberry.
  • When the timer goes off, turn off the heat and let the Riceberry steam for another 10 minutes without opening the lid.
    Light green Dutch oven cooking rice.
  • After the rice is done steaming, remove the lid, and use a rice paddle or spoon to fluff the Riceberry and serve.
    Fluffing cooked Riceberry using a rice paddle.
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Nutrition Facts

Calories • 92kcalCarbohydrates • 19gProtein • 1gSodium • 4mgPotassium • 55mgCalcium • 6mgIron • 0.4mg

Comments

    4.62 from 13 votes (10 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Mark Behar says

    December 09, 2024 at 4:09 am

    5 stars
    Delicious, hearty, easy to cook. For a bit more flavor I add 1, 2, or 3 bouillon (chicken, beef, etc.) cubes depending on quantity I'm preparing.
    Adds a whole another flavor to stir fry and red beans & rice!!

    Reply
  2. Jessica says

    November 03, 2024 at 8:09 am

    Appreciate all the information you shared! Especially appreciated your skeptical approach to some of the health claims and your own careful assessment of the nutritional value of this rice. Have you tried cooking in an instant pot, and if so, how much water do you use? For regular rice it's 1:1 in an instant pot and for brown rice it's 1:1.25. I always do brown for 22 minutes at high pressure.

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      November 03, 2024 at 10:00 am

      Hi Jessica, I'm happy to hear you found my post helpful! Unfortunately I don't have an InstantPot so I haven't been able to try it. That being said in a regular pot white long-grain rice uses a volumetric (cups) water:rice ratio of 1.5:1 and brown jasmine rice uses a ratio of 2:1. Riceberry is somewhere in between which is why I use a ratio of 1.7:1. I'm not sure about the 1:1 you use with the InstantPot, but I suspect that is for short-grain rice (like Japanese rice)? Long-grain rice typically needs more water. Good luck, and if you figure out the perfect ratio for your InstantPot I'd love to hear your results!

      Reply
  3. Glenn Nolan says

    November 11, 2023 at 6:35 am

    Marc,
    I have a Zojirushi rice cooker that I just love to use, it cooks rice and oats perfectly, do you know if I can cook riceberry rice in it?

    i

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      November 12, 2023 at 1:02 pm

      Hi Glenn, I don't own a Zojirushi, but I've cooked riceberry before in my Mitsubishi rice cooker without any problems.

      Reply
  4. Kalpana says

    July 27, 2023 at 6:55 am

    Can I make dosa by using this rice ?

    Reply
    • Marc says

      July 27, 2023 at 2:42 pm

      Hi Kalpana, that's a good question! I've never tried it so I can't say for sure, but it's a varietal of long-grain rice, so I don't see why it wouldn't work. It would certainly make for a colorful dosa! Let me know how it goes if you end up trying it out!

      Reply
  5. Phoebe says

    July 16, 2023 at 3:54 am

    Should you only buy organic organic rice berry rice?

    Reply
    • Marc says

      July 17, 2023 at 4:28 pm

      Hi Phoebe, that's up to you. Some people prefer organic products because less chemicals are used in their production. It won't really effect the taste of the rice.

      Reply
  6. David Zodun says

    March 15, 2023 at 11:38 pm

    I'm from Virginia but I live in Thailand. I eat very little white rice but I do enjoy riceberry. There is also
    now in Thailand a new "milk" product called riceberry milk. It tastes pretty good but I am not sure how healthy it is. One of my Thai friends drinks a lot of it and I am worried how good it is for her.

    Reply
  7. Deb says

    December 07, 2022 at 4:59 am

    Just cooked Riceberry rice in JJ microwave steamer for first time and still had cup of water in the bottom of the steamer when done. Is this normal or have I used too much water?
    More importantly, is this water now full of nutrients or should I just dump it?
    Thank You!

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      December 09, 2022 at 2:17 pm

      Hi Deb, I'm sorry to hear you're having problems. I'm not familiar with how a JJ Microwave steamer works, so it's possible the this recipe (which is meant to be done on the stove) will not work. As for the water, it will have some nutrients, but whether you drink it or not is up to you.

      Reply
  8. Jonathan Kutler says

    May 12, 2022 at 2:52 am

    5 stars
    What is the difference between riceberry and jasberry rice?
    Thank you,
    Jonathan Kutler

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      May 12, 2022 at 7:24 am

      Good question! It looks like both are trademarked terms, but Riceberry is trademarked by a public university in Thailand (i.e. the Thai government) while jasberry is trademarked by a company. It could be that the producers of jasberry didn't want to pay licensing fees to sell their rice under the Riceberry name, or they came up with a new hybrid (I couldn't find any info on what the exact hybrid is).

      Reply
  9. Disha says

    November 12, 2020 at 12:30 pm

    Do you have to rinse the rice or best to avoid rinsing?

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      November 12, 2020 at 12:54 pm

      It's up to you. Milled rice is usually washed to get rid of excess starch on the surface, but since this is a whole grain rice, it's not necessary. That being said, if you're worried about the rice being dirty, you can wash it.

      Reply
      • Vladimir Minkovich says

        February 13, 2022 at 2:43 pm

        5 stars
        I am making very tasty rice berry's pilaf in the oven , it's comes out 😋!

        Reply
  10. Sheri-Lyn O'Leary says

    February 23, 2020 at 5:31 am

    Silly question but in the pkg it says a serving is 1/4 cup. Is that uncooked or cooked? 1/4 cup will be 1 cup cooked?

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      February 23, 2020 at 11:06 am

      Hi Sheri-Lyn, I'm guessing that that's uncooked. Rice triples in volume after it's cooked so 1/4 cup should make about 3/4 cup of cooked rice.

      Reply
  11. Rachel says

    March 08, 2019 at 9:43 am

    Do you recommend any brands or vendors to get riceberry from?

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      March 09, 2019 at 12:47 pm

      Hi Rachael, there are a bunch of different brands, but I think the easiest place to find it is on Amazon. Otherwise you can try Thai grocery store, or health foods stores.

      Reply
    • Guy says

      October 13, 2019 at 3:50 am

      I'm eating Thai grocery store brand "Rice Berry" this evening and it's surprisingly sticky and glutinous. I bought it thinking I was purchasing something like a more traditional red rice variety.

      I hadn't planned on using it for dessert, but we'll see if the leftovers are too sticky to stir fry tomorrow morning. The texture is a bit odd, in that it sticks to itself like gangbusters but it doesn't really stick to my fingers.

      I really don't want to blend this with the polished white rice. It's fine for dinner where I'd otherwise use jasmine rice, it's different, it's good and it's quantifiably better.

      Reply
  12. Carolyn says

    March 07, 2019 at 2:28 pm

    Where can Riceberry be purchased in the US? Thai grocery store, Asian grocery store, or american supermarket? Is it a specialty to Asian only stores? Thanks for your help.

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      March 09, 2019 at 12:46 pm

      Hi Carolyn, they carry it on Amazon, but it's a bit expensive. You may be able to find it for a little less at. Thai grocery store, or at a health foods store.

      Reply
    • Terry McGovern says

      May 25, 2020 at 12:34 am

      I have found them at oriental grocery I don’t know if it was priced wrong it was $15.00 less then the ones on Amazon at the time. Golden Camel brand sold by AFF Imports out of Norcross Ga. they have no online business I purchased it @ Jason’s Produce Melbourne ,Fla

      Reply
    • David says

      September 23, 2020 at 9:19 am

      I bought mine at Walmart in Canada

      Reply
    • KJ T. says

      May 06, 2021 at 9:40 am

      Any Southeast Asian or East Asian grocer should have it.

      Reply
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