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| Category: Grains, cereals and starch |
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Basmati rice | ||
 Basmati is a variety of long grain rice, famous for its fragrance and delicate flavor. Its name means "The Fragrant One" in Hindi, but it can also mean the «Soft Rice». The grains of basmati rice are much longer than they are wide, and they grow even longer as they cook. They stay firm and separate, not sticky, after cooking. Basmati rice is available both as a white rice and a brown rice.From the pilav of Turkey, polou of Persia, pilafs of the Steppes, the isotos and paellas of the Mediterranean, to the pulau of India it has been served to great sultans, maharajahs, shahs and emperors. Spices, nuts, dried fruits, vegetables and herbs are a natural for Basmati rice. Basmati rice transforms rice dishes into extraordinary meals. Appearance: Basmati plants are tall and slender, and their stems are prone to breaking in high winds. Shape or length-to-width ratio is another criterion to identify basmati rice. This needs to be over 3.0 inches in order to qualify as basmati. Origin: Authentic Basmati rice is sourced from northern India at the foothills of the Himalayas. Whilst Basmati rice can be sourced from India and Pakistan, Indian Basmati is traditionally considered premium. History: Basmati rice, which is a variety of long grained rice, has been cultivated for thousands of years in Pakistan and India. Nutrition Fact: Basmati rice, cooked, has 170 calories per cup, and long grained rice has 205 calories per cup. It offer 349% more fiber, 203 % more Vitamin E, and 19 % more protein. Cultivation: Basmati Rice has been cultivated at the foot of the Himalayan mountain ranges in India for thousands of years. The rivers Yamuna and Sutluj irrigate the Basmati paddy fields in Haryana and Punjab respectively. Basmati is now grown in Karnal, Panipat, Kaithal, Kurukshetra and Ambala districts of Haryana. It is also grown in Punjab, Dehradoon region of Uttranchal and Jammu region of Jammu & Kashmir. |