Here are the steps for how to make black rice (homemade Jiangnan specialty food). This is black rice grass, which is pinched from the young head of the tree. It looks ugly.

According to the aunt's instructions, peel off the leaves and remove the stems.

Wash it clean, put it into a grinder with leaves and water, and grind it. My aunt said that it can be chopped into small pieces. I want to save trouble, so I put it in the grinder directly, so that it can be crushed more finely.

The ratio of water to leaves is about 1:1.

Juice of crushed leaves.

Pour all the crushed juice leaves into a container and add some alum. Auntie explained that alum will make the black rice shiny.

Put the alum juice leaves provided by the vendor on the fire and heat it to about 40 degrees, then turn off the heat.

Put the glutinous rice on the gauze.

Tie and wrap.

Soak the packaged glutinous rice in the black rice grass juice overnight until the juice just covers the rice.

The main purpose of packaging is to prevent the minced rice grass from sticking to the glutinous rice, otherwise it will be difficult to clean when taking it out.

After soaking for one night, take it out and you will have black and shiny black rice. The rice grains are plump and glowing with green light, which is beautiful and magical.

Then you can steam, boil, or fry it as you like, and it will still be filled with the same fragrance and endless aftertaste.

The fragrant black rice is not only delicious, but also clears the mind and improves eyesight, unblocks collaterals and replenishes blood. It has high medicinal value. It is said that it has been featured on CCTV as a Jiangnan specialty delicacy.

It is said that some dealers will use artificial pigments to make black rice for sale. This is purely natural pigments and is an absolutely safe delicacy.

"Black Heart Rice Ball" black rice (see the recipe here) "Black Heart Rice Cake" black rice cake (see the recipe here)