Black Rice

One US cup of black rice weighs 180 grams. Going the other way, 100 grams is about 0.56 cups.

Also called black rice, forbidden rice, purple rice, chinese black rice, emperor's rice, heirloom black rice.

TL;DR: Black rice, also known as forbidden rice or purple rice, publishes at 180 grams per cup — matching Lotus Foods and Rice Select producer labels exactly and confirmed by independent USDA branded record UPC 072769004209 at 180 g/US cup. Slightly lighter than brown rice (185 g/cup) despite similar whole-grain structure, black rice fits cleanly into the whole-grain rice family band around 180-195 g/cup.

Black rice is a heritage variety of Oryza sativa native to China and Southeast Asia, distinguished by its deep purple-black bran layer rich in anthocyanins — the same pigment family that colors blueberries and purple cabbage. Historical marketing calls it "forbidden rice" based on claims that it was once reserved for Chinese emperors due to its rarity and nutritional density. Common commercial varieties include Chinese heirloom black rice (medium grain, sold widely by Lotus Foods), Thai black jasmine (long grain, more aromatic), and Indonesian black glutinous rice (short grain, sticky when cooked). The kernels turn deep purple when cooked as anthocyanins leach into the cooking water.

Black rice publishes cleanly at 180 g/cup because three independent sources converge exactly at that value: Lotus Foods' 1/3 cup uncooked = 60 g label, Rice Select's 1/4 cup = 45 g label, and USDA Global Branded Food Products Database UPC 072769004209 measurement at 190 g/metric cup (180 g/US cup). Village Harvest sits slightly heavier at 192 g/cup (6.7% above cluster), which is within milled tolerance and consistent with a plumper kernel variant — the parallel to the basmati-rice entry where Great Value's 196 g/cup was kept as within-range at +8.9%. One additional unbranded USDA GBFD record (UPC 897034002281) at 172 g/cup sits 4.4% below the branded cluster and is treated as a low outlier without corroborating sources, possibly reflecting a shorter-kernel Southeast Asian variety.

Physical reasoning explains why black rice lands at the low end of the whole-grain rice family. Rice kernel bulk density depends on kernel length-to-diameter ratio, moisture content, and bran integrity. Black rice kernels are typically slightly shorter and stubbier than long-grain brown or white rice — the black-pigmented bran layer accompanies medium-grain kernel dimensions in most commercial varieties. This gives less efficient inter-kernel packing (more void fraction) than the long-grain brown rice at 185 g/cup. The anthocyanin-rich bran itself is thin and adds negligible mass — the same reasoning that explains why brown rice (with intact plain bran) matches white rice density: bran is roughly 8% of kernel mass and doesn't materially change the per-cup weight.

King Arthur Baking is silent on black rice in any form. KA's chart is baking-focused and lists cooked brown rice (at 170 g/cup) but no uncooked rice varieties beyond generic long-grain. As with the paired brown-rice entry, cooked-rice figures cannot cross-reference dry-form density because rehydrated grains have absorbed roughly 2-3x their dry weight in water. No KA correction opportunity exists here; the absence is worth noting for bakers looking for guidance on this less-common grain.

Black rice sits at 180 g/cup in the whole-grain rice family band that includes brown rice at 185, white rice at similar density, and basmati at 180. Brown rice and white rice share nearly identical dry density because the bran layer contributes minimal mass; black rice runs slightly lighter due to shorter-kernel dimensions rather than bran differences. Sweet rice (glutinous), stored separately in the database, publishes differently because its shorter, more spherical kernels pack more densely.

For practical use, treat black rice as 180 g/cup for recipe scaling. A tablespoon runs about 11 grams. Black rice takes 30-45 minutes to cook (roughly the same as brown rice) at a 1:1.75 rice-to-water ratio; the cooked yield is roughly 2.5-3x the dry weight. When precision matters — for a black rice pudding where texture depends on precise cooking-water ratio, or for a nutritional macronutrient calculation — weigh by grams. For casual home cooking, cup measurements work fine within the 5-7% spread across commercial varieties. Black rice pairs well with coconut milk (Thai preparations), stir-fried vegetables (Chinese preparations), and warm spice-poached fruit (Indonesian desserts); its deep purple color and nutty aroma make it a distinctive substitute for brown rice in visually-forward plating.

The following published figures for black rice are rejected here, with the physics or standards reasoning behind each rejection on its own page:

• USDA Branded (Black Rice, unspecified brand): 172 g per cup