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As Indian food continues to gain recognition for its diversity and bold flavours, Taste Atlas – the popular Croatian food guide, has crowned basmati rice as the ‘Best Rice In The World’ for the year 2023-24. In the announcement post made on their official social media, they described the Indian-origin grain as “Basmati is a long-grain rice variety that was originally grown and cultivated in India and Pakistan. The rice is characterized by its flavor and aroma, which is very nutty, floral, and slightly spicy. Once cooked, the grains remain individual and don't stick to each other, which allows curry and similar stew and sauces to coat every grain. The longer the grain, the better the rice, and the best basmati grains have a slightly golden hue.”
The top-ranking rice variety was followed by Arborio rice from Italy and Carolino rice from Portugal, in respective second and third ranks. Closing the top five positions were the Spanish Arroz Bomba rice and Uruchimai from Japan. Basmati, used in a variety of Indian preparations like pulao, biryani and even in sweets, is one among the many Indian things that were spotlighted for their contribution to food culture as well as popularity. Believed to have its first-known origins in 1766, the rice also became an integral part of Middle Eastern and Persian cuisines by way of trade.
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Often compared to the aroma of pandan leaves, basmati-growing regions in India include the states of Jammu-Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. Popular delicacies made using this floral and fragrant rice also include khichdi, kabsa and pilaf. Among other prestigious rankings announced by the food guide, mango lassi was also part of the list of ‘Best Dairy Beverage In The World,’ as the most recent one preceding this.
