Today’s whole grain of choice is Black rice which I love for its nuttiness and earthy flavor. It has become quite popular in the West recently. This warm black rice and corn salad is hearty, slightly sweet and is great to serve even at room temperature.Black rice is called forbidden rice because in China during Ching and Ming dynasties, common people were forbidden from eating it. It was reserved exclusively for the royals to ensure their good health and longevity. But eventually even common people were allowed eat the rice. Since then it has become a staple there.I always thought that black rice was used mostly in South east Asian countries. I was surprised to know that it is used in Chettinad cuisine as well. Apparently businessmen from Burma brought this to that region and it has been incorporated into the local cuisine. Black rice is also popular in Northwestern Indian states especially in Manipur. But I don’t have an Indian dish today, I have a warm black rice and corn salad. Recipe is from New York Times site and I loved how colorful and delicious it looked. Adding spices like ground cumin, dried herbs adds nice flavor and the dried cranberries add sweetness in every bite. It is perfect to make a big batch of this salad and pack the leftovers for lunch the next day. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 87. [inlinkz_linkup id=760137 mode=1]