Historical Records of Black Rice in Yangxian County

Yangxian black rice has a long history. According to the records of Yangxian County, black rice originated in Yangxian County, and it is said that it was bred by Zhang Qian, Duke of Wang Bo in the Western Han Dynasty in BC 140 (the first year of Jianyuan). He dedicated it to Emperor Wu, who was very happy and listed it as a "tribute". Since Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the emperors of all dynasties have listed Yangxian black rice as a "tribute" and made it a delicacy for the royal family. In the 24th year of Guangxu reign in Qing Dynasty (1898), although Empress Dowager Cixi fled to xi 'an like a lost dog, she still remembered the nourishing wonders and attractive fragrance of black rice in Yangxian County, and personally ordered the Hanzhong magistrate to make contributions.

Yangxian black rice is one of the earliest high-quality rice in China. In the Book of Songs, Ya Sheng Min, there is a saying that "fine seeds are born, and the dimension is long, and the dimension is long." The eternal cabinet is a poem "Getting is a seedling". According to the research of professors in Hanzhong Normal University, Shu and Chang are the predecessors of black glutinous rice, from which black glutinous rice was bred. History books call the Black Valley Black Millet. Mao Zhuan said: "The biggest black millet in the cabinet". Cui Bao's Notes on Ancient and Modern Times in Jin Dynasty said: "Glutinous rice is millet". In the Song Dynasty, Luo Yuan's Er Ya Yi contained: "Shu Ren recommended millet, which has five kinds: dew kernel, dwarf, ponytail, black valley and covered valley". As far as its planting scope is concerned, it is also stated that "millet, millet, millet, rice and sorghum should be available." Liangzhou is the present Hanzhong area. So black rice has been planted in Hanzhong for more than 3000 years. This is much earlier than the legendary cultivation of black glutinous rice in Zhang Qian. 1980, when archaeologists excavated the ancient tomb of Chunqiuping Wang Jiyijiu in Fanba Village, Yangxian County, they found this plan in the tomb. It can be seen that as early as 2600 years ago, the ancestors of Fanba Village in Yangxian County had planted and eaten black rice. "Yangxian County Records" said: "Black rice, fragrant rice, coix seed and osmanthus rice belong to Gong Mi". Black rice is listed as the "four kinds of high-quality odd rice" in Yangxian County. Black rice, fragrant rice and inch rice in Yangxian county are also called "three treasures in rice", which shows that black rice is rare and precious.