Oryza sativa L.
Brought to Brazil by the Portuguese in the sixteenth century, it was also eventually expelled by them, two hundred years later. In 1772, the cultivation of this variety of red, aromatic and flavorful rice was banned in the country to favor white rice. However, there were plantations in some regions of the Northeast that persisted. Currently, production is concentrated in Vale do Rio Piancó, in Paraíba, and in Rio Grande do Norte. It can be cooked in the pressure cooker and used in risottos and salads. Red rice is one of the ingredients included in Arca do Gosto (Ark of Taste), a Slow Food movement to popularize ingredients in danger of extinction.
