Red Yeast Rice

Red yeast rice, or hung kuk mai 紅麴米, when freshly ground into a powder, is not a well-known pantry staple, but it is commonly used in restaurants, and I use it to add a natural red color to my Mushroom Cha Siu Buns, pastries, and other dishes. It is red from the fermentation of rice kernels and is used in traditional Chinese medicine to aid digestion.