Basmati Rice is a simple grain, yet throughout history it has been on royal menus of various cultures as the main dish. Known as the "Queen of Rice", this highly aromatic grain is long and elegantly thin and transforms simple dishes into extraordinary meals. It can be easily recognized from its aromatic smell. According to Ayurveda, Basmati, the king of all varieties of rice, is saatvic or pure, is nourishing for the body tissues and is easy to digest.

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. To obtain the correct aroma and flavor of Basmati rice, proper ageing is required to reduce its moisture content. The best quality Basmati rice comes from the old Karnal district, known as the 'rice bowl of India'.

• Karnal
• Panipat
• Kaithal
• Kurukshetra
• Ambala districts of Haryana
• Punjab
• Dehradoon region of Uttranchal
• Jammu region of Jammu & Kashmir

• Basmati Rice
• Long Grain Basmati Rice
• Premium Basmati Rice
• Pusa Basmati Rice
• Super Basmati Rice

• Rice production varies from temperate to subtropical to tropical.
• In temperate and subtropical climate areas rice is grown once a year, due to low temperatures, and mostly under irrigation.
• In tropical climate areas, rice was grown under all ecologies: irrigated, rain fed lowland, upland, deep water and tidal wetland

• 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.
• Color : The colour of a basmati is translucent, creamy white. Brown Basmati Rice is also available but the most commonly used is white Basmati.
• Grain : Long Grain. The grain is long (6.61 - 7.5 mm) or very long (more than 7.50 mm and 2 mm breadth).
• Shape : Shape or length-to-width ratio is another criteria to identify basmati rice. This needs to be over 3.0 in order to qualify as basmati.
• Texture : Dry, firm, separate grains. Upon cooking, the texture is firm and tender without splitting, and it is non-sticky. (This quality is derived from the amylose content in the rice. If this value is 20-22%, the cooked rice does not stick. The glutinous, sticky variety preferred by the chopsticks users has 0-19% amylose).
• Elongation : The rice elongates almost twice upon cooking but does not fatten much. When cooked the grains elongate (70-120 % over the pre-cooked grain) more than other varieties.
• Flavour : Distinctive fragrance. The most important characteristic of them all is the aroma. Incidentally, the aroma in Basmati arises from a cocktail of 100 compounds — hydrocarbons, alcohols, aldehydes and esters. A particular molecule of note is 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline.
• Uses : Flavour and texture complements curries because it is a drier rice and the grains stay separate. Also suits biryani and pilaf (where saffron is added to provide extra colour and flavour). Great for Indian & Middle Eastern dishes.
• Main benefits : Aromatic fragrance and dry texture.