Red yeast rice, red fermented rice, red kojic rice, red koji rice, anka, or ang-kak, is a bright reddish purple fermented rice, which acquires its color from being cultivated with the mold Monascus purpureus. Due to the low cost of chemical dyes, some producers of red yeast rice have tried to modify their products with red dye.

Red yeast rice is used to color a wide variety of food products, including pickled tofu, red rice vinegar, char siu, Peking Duck, and Chinese pastries that require red food coloring. It is also traditionally used in the production of several types of Chinese wine, Japanese sake, and Korean rice wine, imparting a reddish colour to these wines. Although used mainly for its color in cuisine, red yeast rice imparts a subtle but pleasant taste to food and is commonly used in the cuisine of Fujian regions of China.

In addition to its culinary use, red yeast rice is also used in traditional Chinese herbology and traditional Chinese medicine. Its use has been documented as far back as the Tang Dynasty in China in 800 AD. It is taken internally to invigorate the body, aid in digestion, and revitalize the blood.

Red yeast rice has become a popular nutritional supplement for lowering cholesterol. However, it is still best to consult your physician before taking red yeast rice as a supplement. Red yeast rice is available in Chinese food stores and health food stores.

Source: www.wikipedia.org

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Red yeast rice, red fermented rice, red kojic rice, red koji rice, anka, or ang-kak, is a bright reddish purple fermented rice, which acquires its color from being cultivated with the mold Monascus purpureus. Due to the low cost of chemical dyes, some producers of red yeast rice have tried to modify their products with red dye. Red yeast rice is used to color a wide variety of food products, including pickled tofu, red rice vinegar, char siu, Peking Duck, and Chinese pastries that require red food coloring. It is also traditionally used in the production of several types of Chinese wine, Japa..