HISTORY OF BASMATI
Basmati is nature’s gift exclusive to Indian subcontinent. The Hindi word Basmati comprises of two syllabus:
- Bas is derived from Prakrit (Sanskrit root) word, Vas which means Aroma; and
- mati means sense.
“Sense of Aroma”
WHAT MAKES BASMATI SPECIAL
- Basmati rice is accepted as the best scented, longest and slenderest rice in the world and Indian subcontinent continues to be its homeland.
- There are many varieties of scented rice but none equals basmati rice which becomes more beautiful on cooking.
- Basmati rice, characterized by its pronounced pleasant and fragrant odor.
- A harmonious combination of kernel dimension, intensity of aroma, texture of cooked rice, high volume expansion during cooking made up by linear kernel elongation with minimum width wise swelling, fluffiness, palatability, easy digestibility and longer shelf life qualify a rice to be Basmati in consumer and trader’s view.
AROMA
- Basmati emits specific aroma in the field, at harvesting, in storage, during milling, cooking and eating. Aroma is best developed when Basmati is grown in areas where temperature is cooler at maturity.
- Aroma is due to certain chemicals present in endosperm.
- 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline as an important volatile compound contributing to the aromatic odour in scented varieties. Concentration of 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline in Basmati rice is 87.4 ppb.