What is Forbidden Black Rice?

This posting is inspired from our recent dinner menu ( see photo above) and question on forbidden black rice from a few of my THD friends.  Most of them have never tasted black rice before and wonder why it is called forbidden.  So I did my research ( NO AI help) and here's what I learned. Remember forbidden black rice is not the same as the purple or blue rice or the common white, brown or red rice.  

   https://health.clevelandclinic.org/forbidden-rice-benefits

Forbidden black rice refers to a type of heirloom rice that has been part of the Asian diet for thousands of years. It belongs to the species Oryza sativa, whose other varieties include Indonesian black rice and Thai jasmine black rice.

Black rice may be long-grain, medium or short-grain. Grown on a small scale, black rice has never been as common as other types, including white, brown and red rice.

Early research suggests that black rice is even more powerful than blueberries in its antioxidant effects . It may also help boost immunity and protect your body against cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other conditions.

Why is black rice called ‘forbidden’ rice?

Black rice (also known as forbidden black rice or emperor’s rice) is used in traditional Chinese medicine. It was once reserved only for the wealthy and powerful to ensure their health and long life. No one else was allowed to eat it.

Fortunately, that’s no longer the case, and black rice is widely available in restaurants, grocery stores and online.

What gives black rice its dark color?

Black rice is especially high in nutrients compared to other types of rice. But it’s particularly rich in anthocyanins — powerful antioxidant pigments that protect your body’s cells from damage. Anthocyanins are what give this rice its unusual color, similar to eggplant, açai berries, blueberries and Concord grapes.

Health benefits of forbidden rice

A review of research on forbidden rice shows that it’s linked to numerous benefits, such as helping to:

• Aid weight control.
• Boost eye health.
• Protect against cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
• Reduce inflammation.

We need more research, says Czerwony, but early studies into black rice nutrition are promising.

“We know forbidden rice is high in nutrients and antioxidants, which help protect our bodies against disease,” she continues. “It’s also low in sugar, fat and salt, which is important when we’re looking to improve our diets and maintain health.”  Forbidden black rice may help:

1. Improve nutrition

Black rice contains a boost of nutrients that help your body work properly, such as vitamin E, calcium and potassium. It has more protein, fiber and iron than other types of rice and contains high levels of:

• Amino acids.
• Antioxidants.
• Fatty acids.

For example, a one-cup serving (100 grams) of prepared black rice contains 2.4 milligrams of iron — more than 10 times the amount in unenriched white rice. It also contains 8.89 grams of protein vs. 6.94 grams in white rice.

2. Support eye health

Carotenoids (a type of antioxidant) help protect the healthy cells in your eyes, especially your retinas. Carotenoids have also been shown to reduce the potentially harmful effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation and prevent the growth of cancerous cells. Vitamin E in anthocyanin also protects the health of your eyes, as well as your skin and immune system.

3. Help manage diabetes

Antioxidants and plant-based chemicals (phytochemicals) can improve your body’s sensitivity to insulin. This process helps you better use glucose. It slows the rate at which your body absorbs sugar and lowers sugar levels in your blood.

4. Protect against disease

The outer layer of a black rice grain contains a higher level of the antioxidant anthocyanin than other types of rice and many other foods. Antioxidants help prevent cardiovascular disease, improve brain function and protect against cancer caused by free radicals damaging your cells.

Protein and fiber in black rice can also help to:

• Improve your digestive system health.
• Prevent obesity.
• Promote weight loss.

5. Reduce inflammation

Plant-based nutrients and antioxidants in black rice help reduce swelling in your body. While we need more research, says Czerwony, eating black rice may ease symptoms of inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and dermatitis.

Does forbidden rice contain gluten?

Black rice is naturally free of gluten, a protein found in certain types of rice (like instant and flavored rice) and whole-grain products with wheat, rye and barley. “People with celiac disease or gluten intolerance can safely eat black rice,” says Czerwony.

What are the risks of forbidden rice?

While black rice is generally safe (and no longer restricted to emperors), it contains the heavy metal arsenic, as does all rice. To reduce your risk of eating too much arsenic, rinse black rice while it’s dry, before cooking. It’s also best to eat black rice in moderation, as too much may cause gastrointestinal effects like an upset stomach, bloating or gas.

Enjoy the tasty benefits of black rice

Wondering how to cook forbidden rice? Due to its chewy texture, it’s best to pre-soak the rice for 30 minutes to 60 minutes. Then boil, fry, steam or even pressure cook black rice, though it generally takes longer to cook than other types (typically 30 minutes to 60 minutes). Follow directions for the particular brand of rice and your recipe.

Store uncooked black rice in an airtight container in a cool, dry, dark place for up to six months. Cooked forbidden rice can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container for three to five days.

I hope I have answer all your questions about forbidden black rice. 

Meanwhile, If you have not tasted black rice, try it : 

 Black rice, often referred to as ``forbidden rice,'' has a slightly nutty flavor and a chewy texture. It is slightly sweet, with an earthy undertone, which makes it a unique addition to various dishes.

Lastly, Did you know that....

The tinikling is often celebrated as the Philippines’ national dance — mimicking the light, quick movements of the tikling bird as it darts between bamboo poles.

But here’s the twist:

Historians now believe it may have started as a Spanish colonial punishment.

Farmers who failed to meet quotas were allegedly made to step between clapping bamboo poles as a form of physical penalty. Over time, this harsh practice was reimagined into a graceful performance of agility and rhythm.

It’s a powerful example of how Filipinos turned pain into expression — and oppression into culture.

FDA and AI in the Drug Review Process

     

 

For Immediate Release:

May 08, 2025

If you have been reading my blogs, you probably know that my last job before

retirement was with the FDA Center of New Drugs, involved with the Chemistry,

 Manufacturing and Control reviews of new Anti-Infective Drug Products. My

role during my first 6 years was a Chemistry reviewer. Later on I was promoted 

to Chemistry Team Leader after getting my GS-14 expertise. Thus the subject 

of Drug Reviews inspired me to repost this FDA Press Release dated 

May 08-25.  If you are an AI enthusiast and interested on review of New drugs

this is  MUST Read for You. Here's the FDA release for your reading Pleasure.

  

"In a historic first for the agency, FDA Commissioner Martin A. Makary, M.D., 

M.P.H., today announced an aggressive timeline to scale use of artificial

 intelligence (AI) internally across all FDA centers by June 30, 2025, following 

the completion of a new generative AI pilot for scientific reviewers.

“I was blown away by the success of our first AI-assisted scientific

 review pilot. We need to value our scientists’ time and reduce the 

amount of non-productive busywork that has historically consumed

 much of the review process. The agency-wide deployment of these 

capabilities holds tremendous promise in accelerating the review

 time for new therapies,” said Dr. Makary.

The generative AI tools allow FDA scientists and subject-matter experts to

 spend less time on tedious, repetitive tasks that often slow down the review

 process.

“This is a game-changer technology that has enabled me to perform

 scientific review tasks in minutes that used to take three days,” said 

Jinzhong (Jin) Liu, Deputy Director, Office of Drug Evaluation Sciences, 

Office of New Drugs in FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research 

(CDER).

To reflect the urgency of this effort, Dr. Makary has directed all FDA centers

 to begin deployment immediately, with the goal of full integration by the end

 of June. Work will continue to expand use cases, improve functionality and 

adapt to the evolving needs of each center after June 30. By that date,

 all centers will be operating on a common, secure generative AI system

 integrated with FDA’s internal data platforms.

“There have been years of talk about AI capabilities in frameworks, 

conferences and panels but we cannot afford to keep talking. It is time 

to take action. The opportunity to reduce tasks that once took days to

 just minutes is too important to delay,” said Dr. Makary.

Looking ahead, the FDA plans to expand generative AI capabilities—across 

all centers using a secure, unified platform. Future enhancements will focus 

on improving usability, expanding document integration, and tailoring outputs 

to center-specific needs, while maintaining strict information security and 

compliance with FDA policy.

The agency-wide rollout is being coordinated by Jeremy Walsh, the FDA’s

 newly appointed Chief AI Officer and Sridhar Mantha. Walsh previously led 

enterprise-scale technology deployments across federal health and

 intelligence agencies and Mantha recently led the Office of Business

 Informatics in CDER.

The agency will continue to assess performance, gather user feedback and

refine features to support the evolving needs of FDA staff and advance its

 public health mission. Additional details and updates on the initiative will be 

shared publicly in June.

Meanwhile, here are 50 English Proverbs, You should Use in Your

Speech

 

are hatch.

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You Can Not Kill A Cactus- My Story and A Poem

This posting is inspired when several months ago, I give away a dozen of my cacti collections to friends here at THD. If you read this and was a recipient of my gift, remember what I said, "You Can Not Kill a Cactus".  Cacti thrives on neglect and do NOT OVER water.     

My Cacti Collection that I gave to friends and Neighbors Here at THD

Here's my short story titled “You Cannot Kill a Cactus,” inspired by my love for 💚Gardening, my Filipino Heritage, and my Gratitude for Life.

 

---

You Cannot Kill a Cactus by David B Katague

The morning sun filtered through the windows of Chateau Du Mer, casting long shadows of the potted calamansi and bougainvillea that framed the lanai. I stood there barefoot, coffee in hand, surveying the modest garden that had become my sanctuary. At 90, I had outlived the clamor of ambition, the heartbreaks of distance, and even some of my closest friends. But not this garden. No, the garden was still growing. So was I, in ways I never expected.

When Macrine passed, I thought life would shrivel. For a while, it did. The rosebushes I once trimmed for her with precision began to brown. The orchids, so fussy and demanding, refused to bloom that year. But one stubborn plant stood tall—defiant, green, and thorny.

The cactus ( see photos above).

I had never particularly liked that cactus. It was a gift from a well-meaning neighbor, a consolation wrapped in burlap and indifference. “You can’t kill a cactus,” she had said, patting my shoulder. At the time, it felt like an insult to my grief—how dare something thrive so effortlessly when I was drowning?

But months passed. The rainy season came and went. I ignored the cactus. I didn’t water it. I didn’t speak to it like I did with my malunggay and lanzones trees. Yet, it remained. One day, I noticed it had sprouted a tiny bloom—delicate, almost apologetic. A survivor’s salute.

That’s when I began to talk to it.

“You’re not much to look at,” I’d mutter, crouching beside it. “But you don’t give up, do you?”

I started gardening again. Slowly. A few bell peppers and okra plants in repurposed rice sacks. A vine of ampalaya crawling up the side of the trellis. I spent the mornings in the soil and the afternoons in the hammock, shaded by mango trees that had known my grandchildren. I planted more than just seeds; I planted fragments of memories—every marigold a whispered joke from Macrine, every tomato a tribute to Sunday family meals in Marinduque.

Visitors came—nieces, nephews, even curious tourists. Some saw just an old man with dirt under his nails. Others saw what I hoped they’d see: a life still in bloom.

“You should give up that cactus,” one well-meaning balikbayan said. “It’s not even native here.”

I laughed, louder than I had in months.

“That cactus saved me,” I replied. “Besides, it reminds me of something.”

“What’s that?”

I smiled and looked toward the sun, where the cactus now stood in a hand-painted pot, its thorns catching the light like silver armor.

“You cannot kill what refuses to die. Especially something still growing.”

---

Here is a poem version of "You Cannot Kill a Cactus," inspired by my love for gardening, and my resilience through loss and age:

You Cannot Kill a Cactus

By David Katague

In the quiet hush of morning light,
I walk the garden, soft and slight.
Barefoot on the earth I tread,
Among the living, and the dead.

The roses once she loved are gone,
Their petals lost with each new dawn.
The orchids turned their faces pale,
Refusing bloom, as if to wail.

But in a corner, spined and small,
A cactus stood, despite it all.
No water, care, or tender grace—
Yet life still clung to that rough face.

I scorned it once, that prickly gift,
Left by a friend to help me shift.
“You can’t kill cactus,” she had said,
When grief was fresh and love was dead.

But seasons passed, as seasons do,
And one spring day, a blossom grew—
A shy, pink bloom upon the thorn,
A sign, perhaps, I could be reborn.

So I returned, with hand and hoe,
To plant the things I used to know:
Ampalaya, okra and peppers bright,
Tangled vines that chased the light.

Tomatoes swelled with sunset's glow,
The mango trees began to show
The fruit of days both old and new—
A life remade in morning dew.

Still, guests would scoff at what they saw:
“That cactus, old man, is a flaw.”
But I just smiled and let them be.
They didn’t know what it meant to me.

For grief may wilt and joy decay,
But something strong still finds its way.
Not all who bloom are soft or fair—
Some bear their blossoms under care.

You cannot kill a cactus, friend—
It grows through drought, through bitter end.
Like me, it stands with quiet might—
Still growing, reaching toward the light.

---

Here's a Tagalog version of my poem “You Cannot Kill a Cactus,” carefully translated to preserve the reflective tone and emotional meaning while honoring the rhythm and flow of Filipino poetry:

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Hindi Mo Mapapatay ang Isang Kakto

Salin ni David Katague

Sa katahimikan ng umagang kay liwanag,
Lumalakad ako sa hardin, may haplos ng paglingap.
Hubad ang paa sa lupang mahal,
Kasama ng buhay, alaala’y sumasabay sa hangal.

Ang rosas na dati’y mahal ng sinta,
Unti-unting nalagas, tila naglaho na.
Ang orkidyas ay tumangging mamulaklak,
Parang puso kong sa lungkot ay di na makakalas.

Ngunit sa sulok, tahimik at matikas,
Nakatayo ang kakto—matibay, matalas.
Walang dilig, walang alaga,
Ngunit buhay ay patuloy, hindi nagpapatalo sa gulo ng tala.

Noon ay inismol ko ang tinik nitong taglay,
Isang regalo mula sa kapitbahay.
“Hindi mo mapapatay ’yan,” aniya, may ngiting payak,
Habang ako’y lugmok sa lumbay, puso’y wasak.

Dumaan ang panahon, bagyo’t tag-init,
Hanggang isang araw, tila may lihim na init—
Isang munting bulaklak, rosas ang kulay,
Sa dulo ng tinik, pilit na sumisibol nang sabay.

Bumalik ako sa lupa, may hawak na pala,
Tinanim kong muli ang mga alaala:
Ampalaya’t kamatis sa paso ng sako,
Mga tanim na minsan ay pinangarap ko.

Ang mangga’y nagbunga ng ginto sa sanga,
Kasama ng luha, pag-asang muling nabuhay na.
Sa harding ito, puso ko’y gumagaling,
Sa bawat dahon, pag-ibig ay muling umaalingawngaw, tahimik man ang hangin.

May mga bisita’y nagtatanong:
“Bakit kakto pa rin ang iyong kinukupkop sa tanong?”
Ngiti lang ang tugon, walang paliwanag,
Hindi nila alam ang halagang tunay, ang bigat sa dibdib na bumigat.

Sapagkat ang lungkot ay parang tuyong lupa,
Ngunit may ugat pa ring lumalaban sa gitna ng aba.
Hindi lahat ng kagandahan ay malambot at makinis,
May bulaklak sa tinik, matapang, matiyaga, hindi nagmamadali.

Hindi mo mapapatay ang kakto, kaibigan—
Lumalaki ito sa init at kawalan.
Tulad ko, ito’y nakatindig nang may dangal,
Patuloy na lumalago, umaabot sa liwanag, sa dulo ng araw.

The story and poems above was created with the help of AI technology.  For Details on my Cacti and Succulents collections read: 

💚https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2021/04/my-cacti-and-succulents-in-philippines.html

Lucrecia Kasilag, Narcisa Buencamino and Roilo Golez

I remember Macrine ( RIP) mentioning Lucrecia Kasilag  when we were discussing about the status of classical music In the Philippines during our early years of married life.

For Details: https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2011/05/updates-of-geneology-of-nieva-clan.html

Lucrecia Roces Kasilag (1917-2008) was a pioneering figure in Philippine music, known for her innovative integration of indigenous Filipino music with Western classical forms. Born in San Fernando, La Union, she grew up in a musically inclined family, which nurtured her early interest in music. Kasilag pursued her education at the Philippine Women's University and later at the Eastman School of Music in the United States, where she honed her skills in composition and music theory. Her career was marked by her tenure as the president of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, where she played a crucial role in promoting Filipino arts and culture. Kasilag composed over 250 works, including orchestral pieces, operas, and chamber music, often incorporating traditional Filipino instruments and themes. Her work during the post-war era was instrumental in shaping a national identity through music, reflecting the Philippines' rich cultural heritage. Kasilag's legacy endures in her contributions to music education and her efforts to elevate Filipino music on the global stage.

Narcisa Buencamino (1877-1966) was a prominent figure in the Philippines during a transformative period in the nation's history. Born in 1877, she lived through the Spanish colonial era, the Philippine Revolution, and the subsequent American colonization. Her life spanned a time of significant social and political upheaval, which shaped her contributions to Filipino society. Buencamino was part of a well-known family, with connections to influential figures in the Philippine Revolution. 

Her family background provided her with a unique perspective on the struggles for independence and national identity. Throughout her life, she was actively involved in cultural and social movements that sought to preserve and promote Filipino heritage and identity during a time when Western influences were pervasive. Her legacy is marked by her dedication to cultural preservation and her role in fostering a sense of national pride among Filipinos. Narcisa Buencamino's life and work remain a testament to the resilience and cultural richness of the Philippines.

Read for Details: https://www.geni.com/people/Narcisa-Buencamino/6000000010579474445

Meanwhile, here's another relative on my Father's side of the Family, who was involved in Philippines political activities, Roilo Golez. I have posted previously the accomplishments of my two other relatives involved in the Political Activities in the Philippines, Teofisto Guingona💚 and Tomas Confessor. 💚💚.

  I remember my Dad informing me that Golez family are his Second Cousins.  

Roilo Golez (1947-2018) was a prominent Filipino politician and public servant known for his staunch advocacy of national sovereignty and maritime rights. Born in the Philippines, Golez graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1970, which laid the foundation for his career in public service. He later earned a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of the Philippines. Golez began his political career as the Postmaster General of the Philippines before being elected to the House of Representatives in 1992, representing Parañaque. He served multiple terms and was known for his dedication to national security and defense issues. Golez was a vocal critic of China's territorial claims in the South China Sea, advocating for the Philippines' rights under international law. His efforts contributed to raising awareness and shaping policy on maritime security in the region. Golez's legacy is marked by his unwavering commitment to protecting Philippine sovereignty and his influence on national defense policy.

Lastly,  here's my night light-A Bubblegram Photo of Me and Macrine (RIP-2020) 

💚https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2025/03/a-confirmed-relative-teofisto-guingona.html

💚💚https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2025/05/tomas-confesor-another-filipino.html