Monascus purpureus

Went

Chinese red rice mould, Red brewers's yeast

MonascaceaeMushrooms

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What to Eat

Edible parts: Mould, Fungus

The organism is used for the production of Chinese red rice, giving it colour and flavour, and for cooking chicken. It is also used in making fermented foods and preserving meat.

Where to Find It

It is a temperate plant.

Asia, China,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Brunei, Bhutan, China, Georgia, Indonesia, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mongolia, Maldives, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen

How to Identify

A yeast in the Monascaceae family found in temperate regions, used to produce fermented foods and food colorants.

Medicinal Uses

Probably has anticancer properties.

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Monascus purpureus (syn. M. albidus, M. anka, M. araneosus, M. major, M. rubiginosus, and M. vini; simplified Chinese: 红曲霉; traditional Chinese: 紅麴黴; pinyin: hóng qū méi, lit. "red yeast") is a species of mold that is purplish-red in color. It is also known by the names ang-khak rice mold, corn silage mold, maize silage mold, and rice kernel discoloration.

Notes

It probably has anticancer properties.

References (3)

Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, p 252
Hu, Shiu-ying, 2005, Food Plants of China. The Chinese University Press. p 262
Yasukawa, K., Medicinal and Edible Plants as Cancer Preventive Agents. Drug Discovery Research in Pharmacognosy. p185 www.intechopen.com