Wild Rice and Berries
Wild rice, also known as "manoomin" or "good berry" in the Anishinaabe language, is the official state grain of Minnesota. For several indigenous tribes, such as the Ojibwe, wild rice is a sacred part of their history and culture. The rice is harvested by hand with two people in a canoe. One person paddles slowly in the back, while the other person gently knocks the rice into the canoe with two wooden sticks. To learn more about how wild rice is harvested, check out this YouTube video.
Servings 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup long-grain wild rice rinsed
- ½ cup dried berries* any combination of cranberries, blueberries, cherries or raspberries
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- ¼ cup crushed nuts any combination of pecans, walnuts or hazelnuts (optional to toast the nuts)
- sea salt
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, bring 5 cups water to a boil. Stir in wild rice, dried berries and maple syrup.
- Once the mixture comes back to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the grains begin to open, about 55 minutes. The amount should have quadrupled.
- Drain the excess liquid from the rice.**
- Divide among bowls and garnish with nuts and sea salt. Enjoy as is or serve as a side with your preferred protein and veggies.
Notes
*If using fresh berries, reduce the amount of water to 3 cups and stir in the berries after draining the cooked rice.
**Consider reserving your drained wild rice water to make this Wild Rice Lemonade!
Wild rice is rich in nutrients. According to the FDC, 1 cup of cooked wild rice has:
- 6.54 grams of protein
- 2.95 grams of fiber
- 4.9 miligrams of calcium
- 52.5 miligrams of magnesium