This Isn't Rice.
And there's a reason you've never been taught to eat it.
Very limited. Intentionally.
There's a reason this grain isn't on grocery shelves.
Adlai is a heritage grain from the Philippine highlands — cultivated across Southeast Asia for 3,000 years.
It wasn't forgotten because it lacked nutrition.
Or flavor.
Or versatility.
It was forgotten because it doesn't behave like modern grains.
It grows slower.
It takes more effort to process.
It refuses to be rushed.
When the Green Revolution industrialized rice and wheat, adlai kept growing the way it always had.
It wasn't forgotten because it lacked nutrition.
Or flavor.
Or versatility.
It was forgotten because it doesn't behave like modern grains.
It grows slower.
It takes more effort to process.
It refuses to be rushed.
When the Green Revolution industrialized rice and wheat, adlai kept growing the way it always had.
Most food systems moved on.
We didn't.
We didn't.
We found it by accident.
Tracing food traditions across Southeast Asia, we kept encountering the same grain — quietly grown, rarely exported, deeply respected.
Adlai.
No marketing. No optimization.
Just... eaten.
That contradiction wouldn't let us go.
Why do modern "healthy" grains feel so unsatisfying?
Why do others spike energy, then disappear just as fast?
And why was this grain — clearly valued by the people who still cook it — completely invisible everywhere else?
Adlai.
No marketing. No optimization.
Just... eaten.
That contradiction wouldn't let us go.
Why do modern "healthy" grains feel so unsatisfying?
Why do others spike energy, then disappear just as fast?
And why was this grain — clearly valued by the people who still cook it — completely invisible everywhere else?
We stopped asking and started listening. And now we're inviting you to do the same.
What happens when you actually cook it.
Adlai cooks simply — like rice.
But the experience is different.
It has structure.
A chew that holds.
A satisfaction that lingers.
You'll describe it differently the first time you eat it.
But they always pause after the first bite.
But the experience is different.
It has structure.
A chew that holds.
A satisfaction that lingers.
You'll describe it differently the first time you eat it.
But they always pause after the first bite.
That pause is the point.
Adlai, explained — briefly.
Adlai (Coix lacryma-jobi L.) is a naturally gluten-free heritage grain with:
— Higher protein than most grains (yes, including quinoa)
— Low glycemic response — steady energy, no crash
— Versatility across savory, sweet, and cold dishes
— Higher protein than most grains (yes, including quinoa)
— Low glycemic response — steady energy, no crash
— Versatility across savory, sweet, and cold dishes
But none of that explains why people care about it.
You have to eat it.
Why this is being released in small batches.
We could have waited.
Scaled first.
Sourced aggressively.
Instead, we chose to listen — to growers, to kitchens, and to the grain itself.
This First Harvest exists so we can:
— Release without compromise
— Learn from real kitchens
— Build supply without cutting corners
Scaled first.
Sourced aggressively.
Instead, we chose to listen — to growers, to kitchens, and to the grain itself.
This First Harvest exists so we can:
— Release without compromise
— Learn from real kitchens
— Build supply without cutting corners
There will be more adlai.
This version won't last long.
This version won't last long.
This is for people who:
➝ Get excited when a menu lists an ingredient they don't recognize
➝ Care how food makes them feel, not just what the label says
➝ Believe that some things are worth protecting as they grow
➝ Want to be early — not because it's trendy, but because it's rare
➝ Care how food makes them feel, not just what the label says
➝ Believe that some things are worth protecting as they grow
➝ Want to be early — not because it's trendy, but because it's rare
If you just nodded, you're exactly who this is for.
What Arrives
The First Harvest comes in a 14oz package — enough for 7-8 servings.
Packed in a dedicated adlai-only facility. Tested for heavy metals and pesticides.
Join the First Harvest
Early access.
Thoughtful updates.
No noise.
Just a grain worth paying attention to — before it becomes familiar.
No spam. No hype. Just first access.
Adlai Pearl is tested for heavy metals and pesticide residues and packed in a dedicated adlai-only facility. Certifications are in progress as we scale responsibly.