Today’s the last day of this awesome Meet The Manufacturer, and I wanted to save the one I found most curious for the end. I’ve NEVER seen anything like this before. These noodles are dark – almost black! They’re made from Lotus Foods’ Forbidden Rice – something I’ve enjoyed for a long time. Forbidden Rice was originally served to Chinese emperors – who resided in the Forbidden City.
The Emperor lived in this place, attended by hundreds of servants and fed the finest foods. The Chinese considered the forbidden Rice to be one that brought longevity. It has a strong flavor and what I found most interesting was that it was very flavorful without any seasoning. Let’s check out this fascinating noodle made from this rice.
Here’s the back of the package (click image to enlarge). Vegan and Gluten Free. To prepare, boil 2 cups of water and add noodle block. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring gently. When soft, add the contents of the soup base sachet. Stir and enjoy!
The noodle block. See what I mean? This stuff is dark – like a very deep purple.
The soup base sachet.
For this one, they went with white miso broth – which I imagine will give the bowl a very interesting look what with the contrasts between the noodles and broth.
Finished (click image to enlarge). Added green onion, hard boiled egg and beef sauteed with soy sauce. The noodles are very purple as is the broth; I expected the broth and the noodles to have quite the contrast, but the Forbidden Rice component of the ramen gives the broth strong purple hues. They have a decent gauge and a very earthy flavor. The broth was a very light miso. Fascinating stuff! 2.25 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 708953601014.
One of the founders of Lotus Foods speaking about their Forbidden Rice and its history.
