As the Miao Sisters Festival (celebrated on the eighth day of the fourth month of the Chinese lunar calendar) approaches, on April 29th, women from Yanjiao Dong Village in Zaiya Township, Jingzhou Miao and Dong Autonomous County, set out together carrying bamboo baskets along the winding, steep mountain paths to collect one of the most important ingredients for the steamed black rice, a traditional local delicacy.

Villagers pick leaves of Vaccinium bracteatum. (Photo/Xu Mengjuan)

Picked Vaccinium bracteatum leaves. (Photo/Xu Mengjuan)

Vaccinium bracteatum leaves are traditionally used to dye rice grains, which assume a deep blue color, named “Wu Mi (black rice)”. After a series of processes including washing, pounding, and soaking, Vaccinium bracteatum leaves give the glutinous rice its unique black color and herbal fragrance. After several hours of soaking, the once white glutinous rice turns a deep ink-black hue. When steamed, the black rice becomes glossy and fragrant.

Well-soaked black rice. (Photo/Ming Rui)

Black rice steamed in a wooden bucket. (Photo/Ming Rui)

At the production site, Tian Siyan, a post-2000s generation Dong girl dressed in traditional costume, records each step with a camera. “Steamed black rice is not only a delicious dish but also a cultural symbol of the Dong village. I plan to share videos of making black rice online to promote our culture through a way that young people can more easily accept,” she tells reporters. Tian plans to invite visitors during the Miao Sisters Festival to experience the full process from picking Vaccinium bracteatum leaves to tasting the steamed black rice, aiming to celebrate and promote the unique ethnic culture.

Tian Siyan records villagers eating steamed black rice. (Photo/Qin Sufen)

Villagers enjoy steamed black rice. (Photo/Xu Mengjuan)

Villagers sit together to savor this traditional food, chatting happily. “Making black rice is a precious craft passed down from our ancestors. Making black rice during the Miao Sisters Festival is to honor our forebears, and because at this festival, married daughters return home to reunite with their families. Sitting together and enjoying black rice brings us great joy,” says one villager.

According to the Compendium of Materia Medica, Vaccinium bracteatum leaves are believed to have cooling and detoxifying properties. Today, steamed black rice has become an indispensable treat for hosting guests in Dong communities.

(Translate by Yang Hong)