Purple Long-Grain Glutinous Rice 紫糯米, alternatively referred to as purple or black sticky or sweet rice, is loved for its nutty flavor and high amylopectin content (a type of starch), which results in grains that stick together—stickier than short grain japonica rice like penglai.
It can be enjoyed on its own or mixed with other grains as an everyday rice, but its stickiness makes it the rice of choice for wrapping fan tuan (rice rolls) or thickening red bean porridge.
This whole grain glutinous rice from the indica family offers both the antioxidant properties of anthocyanin (the same pigment that gives purple cabbage its hue) and the nutrient-rich makeup of brown rice. But what's special about the purple glutinous rice we import—grown by farmer Lai Chin-Sung in Shengou, Yilan—is that it retains a soft, chewy texture despite its whole grain nature.
This product is part of the Island of Dao: Taiwanese Rice Collection, a set of three single-origin Taiwanese rices grown by three smallholder farmers across the island, curated by Siang kháu Lū, a Taiwanese cultural kitchen and educational center promoting Taiwanese rice foodways.
Check out the rest of the collection:
Why Rice, Why Now?
For centuries, rice has nourished families, sustained livelihoods, connected communities around cultural customs, and even shaped the terrain of Taiwan. In recent decades, however, rice consumption has dropped over fifty percent, from an average of 90 kg of rice per person per year forty years ago, to just 43 kg in 2022.
This decline presents challenges to farming—one of the oldest ways of life. As the cost of land increases and demand for rice drops, farmers may be less willing to cultivate rice, resulting in the gradual loss of farmland and disrupting their connection to and stewardship of that land.
In this set, Siang kháu Lū turns to Taiwanese rice as a means of exploring the agricultural conditions in Chiayi, Yilan, and Taoyuan. Across these areas, they've witnessed the changes affecting Taiwan’s farming communities, heard the voices of Taiwanese farmers, and embraced the diversity of Taiwanese rice cuisine and culture.
Tasting Notes and Usage
Sticky, tacky with a nutty aroma
Soak the rice overnight before cooking. Make fantuan 飯糰 (rice rolls) and red bean porridge. Or, simply steam and enjoy directly.
Ingredients and Instructions
Purple glutinous rice
Net Weight: 21.2 oz / 600 g
Refrigerate after opening. Best consumed within 6 months after opening.
About Siang kháu Lū
Located in a traditional san he yuan 三合院 residence in Taoyuan, Siang kháu Lū 雙口呂 is a family-run cultural kitchen that promotes the culinary heritage of Taiwan through kueh 粿 (rice cake) workshops, sharing the techniques and stories behind different rice traditions in Taiwan.
The name Siang Kháu Lū, which literally translates to "double entrance Lu," comes from the surname of co-founder Pei Yi's grandmother: Lü 呂. The character—two 口 connected by a path—symbolizes the connective intention of Siang Kháu Lū's founders. The archway leading into their cultural kitchen is a two-way entrance for guests to come in and partake in traditional rice delicacies, then take away with them a greater understanding of Taiwan's rice-based agriculture and cultural practices.
