Whenever rice is mentioned, the name of Basmati rice comes first. Basmati rice is often prepared at home on any special occasion. But do you know where Basmati rice came from? Today we will tell you the history of Basmati rice.
The world’s best rice
Food and travel guide Taste Atlas has named the world’s best rice for the year 2023-24. The list of rice has been released. In which the name of Basmati is at the first position. After this, Arborio of Italy is on second place and Carolina Rice of Portugal is on third place. Basmati is liked more because of its fragrance, taste and large grains. Let us tell you that Indian Basmati has more fiber.
Basmati is the first choice everywhere
Indians like Basmati in Pulao, Biryani and other dishes. Is. Especially India supplies Basmati rice to the world. Although it is also cultivated in Pakistan, but India is number one in terms of export.
Pakistan’s opposition
When India in 2021 protected geographical area Pakistan had started protesting when it applied to the European Union for the indication tag. Because Pakistan was afraid that if this happened then it would lose the market. According to a report, India earns about 6.8 billion dollars every year by exporting Basmati, whereas in Pakistan this figure is 2.2 billion dollars.
History of Basmati?
Basmati is made up of Sanskrit words Vas and Mayap. According to a report, Vas means fragrance and Myap means depth. However, the word Mati used in this is also considered to mean queen. This is the reason why it is called the queen of fragrances. This rice is known for its fragrance and as soon as it is prepared, the smell reaches the surroundings.
Highest yield
Basmati is cultivated the most. It occurs in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir. But historical documents show that Basmati was grown in ancient India also. According to the book Aromatic Rices written on food, evidence of this has also been found in the excavations of Harappa-Mohenjodaro. When Persian traders reached India for business, they brought with them a variety of aromatic rice. It is recorded in many history books that Indian traders started exporting rice to the Middle East in 1766. However, apart from India, it is also grown in Pakistan and Bangladesh and is being exported to many countries of the world for years. Whereas India is exporting maximum Basmati rice to many countries including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, United Arab Emirates and Yamat.
Many varieties
According to the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority, there are many varieties of Basmati in India. It includes Basmati 217, Basmati 370, Type 3 (Dehradun Basmati), Punjabi Basmati 1, Pusa Basmati 1, Kasturi, Haryana Basmati 1, Mahi Sugandh, Taraori Basmati (HBC 19 / Karnal Local), Ranbir Basmati, Basmati 386.< /p>
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