Tsitsaniya (zizaniya) water (Zizania aquatica), it is also wild or black rice, tuscarora or chumiza, is an annual species of cereal plants that is not related to rice and is called so only because of the external similarity of their seeds. Tsitsaniya comes from North America, where in nature it grows along the shores of water bodies. Today, its natural habitat is small: it is the Great Lakes region on the border of Canada and the US state of Minnesota.
Another name for chumiza is Canadian or Native American rice: it was the indigenous peoples of America who first appreciated its properties, collecting this cereal for many hundreds of years. Currently, black rice, the benefits of which are undeniable for the body, is cultivated, in addition to Canada and the USA, in China and Korea. It is unpretentious and resistant to frost; its grains are used for the manufacture of cereals and flour, and the stems and leaves for animal feed.
The nutritional value of black rice is much higher than that of most cereals: for example, 100 g of this cereal contains 15 g of protein. It contains eighteen of the twenty amino acids that the human body needs to synthesize proteins, B vitamins, as well as zinc, phosphorus, magnesium and manganese. Black rice contains a large amount of folic acid (vitamin B9), which is involved in many processes in the body. For example, hematopoiesis and the formation of new cells. It is especially necessary for pregnant women, as it contributes to the correct formation of organs and systems of the fetus.
The human body does not produce vitamin B9 and can only receive it from the outside, with food or drugs. Black rice is a leader in the content of folic acid: to cover the daily need for it, it is enough to eat only one glass of this cereal. Anthocyanins, colored flavonoids, are found in large quantities in it. In addition to citric acid, a lot of them are found in berries - blackberries, blueberries, black currants, grapes, as well as in eggplant. It is to these substances that these cultures owe their color. Anthocyanins are natural antioxidants that slow down the aging of the body. However, the beneficial properties of rice (citricane) are not limited to this: it helps maintain the elasticity and tone of blood vessels, improves immunity and lowers blood pressure. Wild rice, therefore, is a valuable dietary product, the only drawback of which is its high price: it costs several times more than ordinary rice.
Oddly enough, the taste of Native American rice growing in natural conditions is more pleasant than that of cultivated. Black rice, which is sold in supermarkets, is very hard and requires long cooking, at least forty minutes. Nutritionists advise pre-soaking it overnight in cold water - without this, the cooking time may still increase. In extreme cases, soaking black rice in boiling water for an hour, under a tightly closed lid, helps.
That is why it is often used in a mixture with the usual, long-grain - it can also be bought in supermarkets (in the departments of dietary products) or in online stores. Black rice is pre-steamed so that its cooking time does not differ from white. Both this cereal itself and the mixtures in which it is included are used, for example, for preparing pilaf. To do this, put the cereal with the meat in a saucepan, add spices and salt, pour water (2: 1) and stew for about an hour. A combination of rice with cranberries or lingonberries will be successful - at the end of cooking, add 2-3 tbsp. l berries.
Wild rice salad with chicken (smoked or boiled) and fresh cucumbers is very tasty. They are seasoned with a mixture of orange juice and apple cider vinegar, crushed garlic, basil and cilantro are added for the smell. Finally, you can also make dessert from wild rice, after boiling it and mixing it with chopped apples, raisins, a spoonful of honey and a pinch of cinnamon. Top of the dish is sprayed with lemon or lime juice.