Black rice has been known in the East for centuries and is a very special rice, with a characteristic ebony colour of the pericarp, the outer skin, due to the natural pigments produced by the plant itself, and an aroma reminiscent of freshly baked bread, which increases in intensity throughout the cooking process.Because of its fragrance and nutritional characteristics, but also because of the cost of production, black rice was reserved in ancient China for noble families, so much so that it was known as the Rice of the Emperors.Before the development of Venere, there was no trace of black rice in the areas of Piedmont, mainly because of the climatic differences that exist between regions of the globe so far apart. Venere, on the other hand, was created so that it could grow in temperate zones, like here, while retaining its nutritional characteristics and a balanced supply of proteins and minerals.For a particular risotto, we recommend cooking one or two parts of the whole black rice for twenty minutes, adding the remaining part of Arborio, Carnaroli or Vialone later.