Black rice originates in Asia. According to legend, in China thousands of years ago, farmers were only allowed to grow black rice for the emperor and his court. The rice was also called "the forbidden rice" and was said to be not only of special nutritional value, but also a great aphrodisiac. And that was a property reserved for the emperor. 

Italian Nerone rice is probably derived from the Chinese "ancestral rice" and an Italian rice variety, which ensured that the rice could thrive in the Mediterranean climate. Nerone from GreenAge comes from Vercelli (Po Valley, Piedmont). Nerone rice is a wholegrain rice that is perhaps the "richest" of all rice varieties in terms of nutritional value. What is most striking is the high level of antioxidants (it even contains more than blueberries). The dark skin not only gives a deep colour & a full, nutty flavour, but also contains one of the highest levels of anthocyanins.