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Black Glutinous Rice

Black Glutinous Rice

Product Overview

Black Glutinous Rice, known in Thailand as khao niao dam and often sold internationally as purple or black sticky rice, is an unpolished glutinous variety whose bran layer carries high concentrations of anthocyanins — the same class of pigments found in blackcurrants and purple corn. Cooking releases the colour, turning the grain and its liquid a deep violet. It is the traditional base for Thai black sticky rice pudding served with coconut cream, for Filipino champorado, and for a wide range of Southeast and East Asian desserts. Beyond tradition, food manufacturers specify it as a clean-label natural colour and as a wholegrain with a strong antioxidant marketing story. It requires overnight soaking and is frequently blended with white glutinous rice to control colour intensity and texture.

Grain Description

Opaque grains ranging from deep purple to near black with the bran layer intact. Cooks sticky and chewy, releasing a rich violet colour, with a mildly sweet, nutty flavour.

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MOQ: 1 x 20ft container (approx. 22-24 MT)

Private Label: Available — custom branding and packaging

Technical Specifications

Grain TypeLong Grain Glutinous Wholegrain
Grain Length6.5mm - 7.0mm
Moisture Level14% max
Broken Percentage17% max
Purity LevelPer DFT colour rice standard
Crop YearCurrent Crop
ColorDeep purple to black
AromaMildly sweet, nutty

Mill Quality-Control Specification

As issued by our Quality Control Department — document SD-QC-003, Rev 06, 29 November 2023.

Thai Black Luem Pua Rice

ParameterSpecification
Moisturemax14.0%
Whole kernelsmin60.0%
Entirely & almost entirely dark kernelsmax30.0%
Brokensmax17.0%
Small brokens C1max0.5%
Damaged kernelsmax1.0%
Other colour kernelsmax6.0%
Other type kernelsmax1.0%
Underdeveloped kernels, immature kernels, other seeds and foreign matter, singly or combinedmax5.0%
Paddy (grains per 1 kg)max10 grains

Reference: Standards for Thai Colour Rice (B.E. 2562), Department of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Commerce, Thailand

Packaging Options

500g
1kg
2kg
5kg
25kg
Private Label OEM

Container Capacity

20ft Container

Approx. 25 MT

40ft Container

Approx. 27 MT

Pre-Shipment Inspection

Available inspection providers

SGSBureau VeritasIntertek

Popular Export Markets

ChinaJapanSouth KoreaUSAEUPhilippines

Common Uses for Black Glutinous Rice

Traditional desserts — Thai black sticky rice pudding with coconut cream, Filipino champorado
Natural colour ingredient — clean-label purple colour for bakery, beverage and snack products
Health and wellness retail — anthocyanin-rich wholegrain for premium natural food shelves
Bubble tea and dessert chains — black sticky rice toppings and layered dessert bases
Blending — combined with white glutinous rice to tune colour depth and texture

Frequently Asked Questions — Black Glutinous Rice

Is black glutinous rice the same as purple sticky rice?
Yes, they are the same product under different names. The grain appears near black when raw and turns deep violet or purple when cooked, so both descriptions are used in trade. In Thailand it is khao niao dam.
What gives it the colour?
Naturally occurring anthocyanins concentrated in the bran layer — the same pigment family found in blackcurrants, blueberries and purple corn. Because the colour is in the bran, black glutinous rice is always sold unpolished; polishing would remove it.
Does it need to be soaked?
Yes. Soak for at least 6 to 8 hours, ideally overnight, then steam. The intact bran layer slows water absorption considerably, and skipping the soak produces unevenly cooked, hard grains.
Can it be blended with white glutinous rice?
Yes, and it commonly is. Blending controls both colour intensity and texture — a typical dessert blend uses black glutinous rice as a proportion of white glutinous rice. We can supply pre-blended lots to your specified ratio, or the two varieties separately.

Other Rice Products

Thai Jasmine RiceThai Hom Mali RiceThai White RiceThai Parboiled RiceThai Broken RiceThai Brown RiceThai Glutinous RiceBrown Hom Mali Jasmine RicePathumthani Fragrant RiceBrown Glutinous RiceBroken Glutinous RiceRed Rice

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