Indian Basmati is not Plastic Rice

In India, rice is the staple food and more than 65% of the country’s population depends on rice for their everyday food consumption. India produces over 70% of the world’s Basmati rice production (source). India is the leading exporter of the Basmati Rice in the global market. Basmati is a long grain aromatic rice, which is cultivated at the Himalayan foothills of the Indian sub-continent. Fragrant Basmati rice is commonly used for making Pulao, Biryani or cooked to serve with curries, dal etc.

Basmati rice
Basmati rice

Below are a few facts about Basmati rice:

  • Basmati Rice contains high nutritional value as it contains a large amount of vitamin B.
  • It contains a very small amount of fat and very high amounts of useful carbohydrates.
  • In India, Basmati rice is produced in the states of J & K, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh.
  • Indian Basmati rice is available in two varieties White and Brown.
  • According to the Canadian Diabetes Association, Basmati rice has a ‘medium’ glycemic index (between 56 and 69) opposed to regular white rice with a glycemic index of 89, thus making it more suitable for diabetics as compared to certain other grains and products made from white flour. (source)

Recently a rumour stating that Basmati rice is made of plastic has been going viral on Social media. They are videos that have gone viral and people have started believing them as well. While researching this, I found that it cannot be true at all. Basmati rice is nature’s gift to us. Even leaders like Dr. V.P. Singh (Retd. Head, Division of Genetics, Indian Agricultural Research Institute) voice the same opinion. 

While busting the rumour about plastic rice he also added “The consumer, by seeing this video (rumoured video) shouldn’t get misguided. The Basmati Rice is the nature’s gift to Indian sub-continent.”

The mainstream media (newspaper and television) have not yet confirmed any news about seizing Plastic rice in India. It’s only on social media that this news has spread rapidly. The whole scenario would be much better if we read things with patience, think wisely and share more responsibly on social media after verifying the facts behind a news. News like this only confuses people and hamper everyday living.

I hope this article will give an introspection to the burning issue of Plastic Rice and we will begin to look at it in a thoughtful way and evaluate things before sharing straight on our social media handles. I would appreciate your inputs and thoughts on the same. If you’re reading this, please leave a comment below.

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6 Comments

  1. Basmati rice is the best. do you have any information that you can share with us about the basmati aged rice ?

     
    • Hi Hagit, Aged Basmati rice grains cook out beautifully and absorb less water. They’re excellent for making Biryani, because if someone is following the ‘Dum’ method while making Biryani, these rice grains hold their shape pretty well for a longer time and they appear less sticky.

       

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