In the Race of the Rice, Mishtann Basmati Wears the Crown!

by Vaibhav Pandya General Manager at MISHTANN Foods Limited

Rice has attracted the attention of people from all quarters of the world. From the poorest of countries to the most developed ones, rice is a common thing on the platter. Although the origins of rice are unknown, its cultivation and consumption has spread to all corners of the globe. In older times rice used to be synonymous to food and vice-versa. Affordable price, easiness in cooking and the nutritious content has made rice the most preferred and loved food product. Rice is low in fat, easily digestible and gives a quick boost of energy. This great combination makes it an ideal food option. You can mix rice with almost everything and come up with a dish of your own. Ask anyone as to which is their favourite rice recipe and you'll get to hear of a wide variety of dishes, ranging from rice burrito from Italy to Susi in Japan. In India, the Biryani has become a recipe that makes every occasion special.

Asia is the biggest rice producer in the world. Rice farming is affected adversely because of global warming. More than 5,000 litres of water goes into production of one kile of rice. In times when many countries in Asia are facing a critical shortage of water, rice farming seems a very challenging task. Even then, Asia continues to not only top the list of countries producing rice, it is also the largest consumer of rice.

It would be interesting to note that there are more than 40,000 varieties of rice. It may actually be much more. The exact figure is not known. The International Rice Gene Bank has in its collection more than 90,000 samples of cultivated rice, among which many are considered to be wild species. The number of varieties is mind boggling. So then one would ask which is the best among all of these. Which is that one species of rice that is considered to be the king of all types of cultivated rice in the world?

The answer is - BASMATI. Yes, the Indian Basmati rice is considered to be the best variety for consumption. The weather and the soil in the fertile Gangetic plains in the Himalayas is the only one that suits the cultivation of basmati. Aromatic and delicious, the Basmati is a matter of experience as words would fall short in describing something so extraordinary! Indian mythology has numerous references to the Himalayas, referring to it as heaven on earth- a place where the Gods are pleased to reside. The Basmati could, in that light, be considered a gift from the Gods, straightway from heaven.

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