Golden Queen III [100% Korean Rice; Freshly Milled in New York]

Hi Miran, We just replied to your comment below. Sorry that we didn't answer your email question. Black dots don't mean they are spoiled or bad. Here's our general response to the question you raised. It's simply because our farmers use no or minimum amount of pesticide when they are growing rice. The black dots are simply marks made by stink bugs when they pierce rice grains to feed. These spots are caused by the bug's saliva which interferes with the grain's coloring. Although the appearance might be affected, it does not impact the safety or quality of the rice. Because we freshly mill our rice, you won't have any mold.  There are many reports and studies backing up our response above. Here we share one: Rice Quality Affected by Stink Bug Feeding. This report published in 2004 by the Texas A&M AgriLife Research discusses how stink bug feeding impacts the appearance of rice but confirms that it does not affect the edibility or nutritional quality of the rice. The fact that our farmers are not using or using a minimum amount of pesticide is the main contributor to those stink bug cases. Kim'C Market is the rice expert and supplier of rice for many Michelin-starred restaurants - i.e. Atomix, Daniel Boulud, Cote, Oiji Mi, Ssal and a lot more. These names are our references for our quality and care.  Storage is important. Please keep our rice in the refrigerator if you like to keep the maximum freshness.  Hope this relieved your concerns. Thank you.

Hi Miran, Thank you for your comment. You are our loyal customer, and we feel terrible that we didn't answer your question. Lately, we received a few emails reporting black dots on Golden Queen. It's not spoiled, or bad at all. Here's our general response to the question. Here's our explanation. The black dots are simply marks made by stink bugs when they pierce rice grains to feed. These spots are caused by the bug's saliva which interferes with the grain's coloring. Although the appearance might be affected, it does not impact the safety or quality of the rice. Because we freshly mill our rice, you won't have any mold. There are many reports and studies backing up our response above. Here we share one: Rice Quality Affected by Stink Bug Feeding. This report published in 2004 by the Texas A&M AgriLife Research discusses how stink bug feeding impacts the appearance of rice but confirms that it does not affect the edibility or nutritional quality of the rice. The fact that our farmers are not using or using a minimum amount of pesticide is the main contributor to those stink bug cases. Kim'C Market is the rice expert and supplier of rice for many Michelin-starred restaurants - i.e. Atomix, Daniel Boulud, Cote, Oiji Mi, Ssal and a lot more. These names are our references for our quality and care. Storage is important. Please keep our rice in the refrigerator if you like to keep the maximum freshness. Hope this relieved your concerns. Thank you.