A Love Story

Our love story began when we first tasted amazing black rice during our travels in China. It was called “tribute rice”, or “longevity rice” because it was reserved for Chinese Emperors to ensure their good health and long life. That story, then became our story.

In 1995, we began importing black rice, calling it Forbidden Rice® after the Forbidden City, the Chinese Imperial Palace. Since then our goals have been high, but we’re proud to say we’ve stayed true to them along the way.

Little did we know that eventually, we’d find ourselves trying to change how the world grows rice! We’ve built strong partnerships around the world to bring you the highest quality heirloom, organic rice, rice noodles and rice snacks. All while promoting organic agriculture, rice biodiversity, and supporting producers.

We’re proud of the amazing products we’ve made, the many awards we’ve won and the people we’ve met and impacted. Watch the video below to learn more about what we do and why.