The Origin

Rice originated at least 130 million years ago as wild grass. Cultivated rice, as we know it
today, was first grown about 10,000 years ago in south-east Asia, probably in India.
The origin of rice is buried in obscurity and the depths of time. Till today, we do not know
when it was first discovered and domesticated and perhaps this is one fact we will never
come to know. In the long and turbulent history of the human race, one of the most important
developments that led to the development of civilizations was the domestication of rice, for
this one single variety of grain has fed and nourished more people over a longer period of
time than any other crop.
Rice or Oryza Sativa (as botanists prefer to call it) is not a tropical plant but is still associated
with a wet, humid climate. It is generally believed that the domestication of rice began
somewhere in the Asian arc. From its place of birth, lost forever in the mists of time, the plant
and its grain spread all over the world.
According to some schools of thought, It is probably a descendent of wild grass that was
cultivated in the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas and the upper tracts of the Irrawady and
Mekong river basins. Another school of thought believes that the rice plant may have
originated in southern India and then spread to the north of the country.
From India, the plant spread to China and then onwards to Korea, the Philippines (about 2000
B.C.), Japan and Indonesia (about 1000 B.C.). The Persians are known to have been
importers of this grain. From there its popularity spread to Mesopotamia and Turkestan. It is
believed that when Alexander the Great invaded India in 327 B.C., one of the priced
possessions he carried back with him was rice.

Arab travellers took it to Egypt, Morocco and Spain and from there it traveled all across
Europe. The Portugese and Hollanders took rice to their colonies in West Africa. From Africa
it travelled to America through the 'Columbian Exchange' of natural resources - rice being a
gift from the Old World to the New. Rice has been cultivated in the United States of America
for the last three hundred years.
It was in China that the process of puddling soil and transplanting seedlings was likely
refined. With the development of puddling and transplanting, rice became truly domesticated.
In China, the history of rice in the river valleys and low-lying areas is older than its history as
a dryland crop. In Southeast Asia, by contrast, rice was originally grown under dryland
conditions in the uplands, and later it came to occupy the vast river deltas. Migrants from
South China or perhaps South East Asia carried the traditions of wetland rice cultivation to
the Philippines during the second millennium B.C., and Deutero-Malays may have carried the

practice to Indonesia about 1500 B.C. From China or Korea, the crop was introduced to Japan
around 100 B.C.
According to some schools of thought, It is probably a descendent of wild grass that was
cultivated in the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas and the upper tracts of the Irrawady and
Mekong river basins. Another school of thought believes that the rice plant may have
originated in southern India and then spread to the north of the country.
The journey of rice around the world has been slow, but once it took root it stayed and
became a major agricultural and economic product for the people. In the Indian subcontinent
more than a quarter of the cultivated land is given to rice. It is a very essential part of the
daily meal in many parts of the country.
The rice grain is treated with honour in the subcontinent and in Asia: for here the failure of
the rice crop in not only an economic setback but can also create a famine-like situation.
Wastage of rice is viewed rather badly in these societies and superstitions about the grain
abound.

Basmati...
Nature's gift to India, India's gift to the World.

The scented pearl from India

Grown only in Himalayan Region of India and nurtured by snow fed rivers, Basmati is
without a shadow of doubt the King of all Rices in the world. Its long slender shape and an
unmatched fragrance and aroma are reflective of the age old civilization that cultivates it.
A rice of the connoisseurs, Basmati is non-glutinous and has a fine, smooth and silky texture.
The rice has been favored by emperors and praised by poets for hundreds of years. In the
older times, Basmati could only be grown in the special fields for the kings and was always
treasured and guarded by nobles. Ordinary people were not allowed in the vicinity of the
fields and taking Basmati grain was a punishable offence.
The supremacy of Basmati over other varieties is predominantly due to its unique and
delicately balanced combination of a number of characteristics such as superfine (long
slender) kernels, exquisite aroma, sweet taste, soft texture and delicate curvature, all of which
makes it excellent for cooking. Its nut-like flavor and aroma is unique in the world. Like all
naturally beautiful products Basmati Rice cannot be artificially created. It is Mother Nature
(the soil and climatic conditions of the Himalayan foothills) that itself provides for its unique
aroma and taste. There is no surprise that Basmati world over draws the highest premium
because of its special characteristics. So it is said that - "Basmati is to rice what Champagne

is to wine and Scotch is to whisky". With the passage of time, several varieties of Aromatic
Rice have been developed but the mystique of Basmati remains eternal.

The Indian heritage

Basmati, the highly aromatic rice is nature's gift to the Indian sub-continent and it is India's
gift to the whole world. Farmers in the northern parts of the country, at the foot of the
Himalayan mountain ranges have been growing this scented rice for centuries. Basmati
grown in India, they say, is as great as the land and as old as the civilization itself.
The tropical climate and soil prevailing at the foothills of the Himalayas is perfect for
Basmati rice cultivation. Basmati from India is a perfect treat for the connoisseurs of
sumptuous food, all over the world!

Bringing you the Best

Basmati has been cultivated in the Indian sub-continent for ages and is still grown under
completely natural conditions to imbibe all the goodness that nature has to offer. However,
present Indian companies who are growing, processing and exporting Basmati are at par with
the best in the world and are using the State of the Art technology in their Mills. The demands
and needs of the modern day consumers are kept in mind as every grain of rice, that is
exported, follow pre-defined process under close supervision of experts who ensure that only
the best grain is brought to you.

Transforming simple dishes into delicacies

Cooking with Basmati is real fun as the ingredient in itself is a delicacy. Initially it was only
eaten by the ethnic population, Basmati is now finding favors with consumers from all over
the world and various studies show that the market for Basmati has been growing at the rate
of 20% per annum. Basmati is also fast becoming a part of Chefs world over are using
Basmati to transform simple dishes into sumptuous delicacies ranging from indulgent ethnic
Biryani to Seafood Pulaos for the health conscious.

Basmati mystique
Basmati is typically characterized by its superfine kernels, exquisite aroma, great taste, silky
texture, delicate curvature and linear kernel elongation. The poets for many countries finds
mention in texts from the sixteen century onwards. Basmati continuously finds mention in
texts from the 16th century onwards.
The aroma of Basmati is unique and imparts its novel characteristic that is unmatched by any
other grain elsewhere in the world.