Red. Brown. Pink. Black. Buff and of course, white. These vibrant shades have given the world distinct flavours of rice for generations. With the advent of modern technology and the rapid need to feed growing populations, mass processing became necessary and thus was born the uniform white rice that is consumed by most people all over the world.

History

The history of rice dates back to before the Common Era, and is now widely believed to have grown as a kind of wild grass in the foothills of the Himalayas. Alexander’s trans-continental expedition took rice back into Greece from where it entered Europe. Rice made its way to the Americas only with Columbus’ expedition; it was only in the seventeenth century that South America witnessed the wonder-crop that is rice. Traditionally, there are 24 different species of rice grown across India. Of these, 21 varieties are wild, whilst two have been domesticated in India. Of these species, there are hundreds of varieties in each. Karnataka alone is home to more than 700 varieties of rice!

Different rice for different meals

Each of these varieties has a specific geographical, cultural and gastronomic significance. Different colours, the lengths of grain, the planting-to-harvest cycle, are all varied and differ from rice to rice. When it comes to food, each of these rice varieties are also intended for a particular kind of meal. The rice used to make certain foods such as idli, belong to a separate species. Pongal meant a different rice variety.

So what did this amount to?
Using different kinds of rice traditionally grown in the local geographical area meant that consumption was in harmony with the immediate environment. It also met the micro-nutrient profile for every individual. The traditional rice varieties are packed with fibre and minerals. Polishing them takes away all these benefits. It also impairs the flavour in every dish.
But what is with the different shades of rice that are now gaining popularity?
Every bowl of coloured rice comes with a unique dietary promise.

Colours in rice

Brown rice:
Rice grains are rich in a wide variety of nutrients. Brown rice is rice that has not undergone any kind of processing, thereby helping the nutrients remain intact in every grain of rice. Brown rice must usually be soaked before cooking and tends to get mushy with overcooking. It offers a low glycaemic index and is ideal for diabetics.
Red rice:
Kerala is known to be the home of several red rice varieties. Every region in Kerala has its own varieties and in turn, each kind is used for a specific kind of food. Navara is a medicinal rice and is often prescribed in Ayurveda for a variety of ailments. Kuruva, Chitteni, and others abound in different regions of Kerala. For Tamil Nadu, it is the mapillai champa that is rapidly gaining popularity after years of being relegated to the background. Rajamudi is believed to have been exclusively grown for the Wodeyar kings in the Mysore area.
Black rice:
The kavuni variety of rices, most popularly, karungavuni, is a medicinal black rice used in Tamil Nadu. Black rice has been a popular choice in the Far East, and food historians cite ample reason to believe that the black rice may have made its way into India through Burma - these may have been brought back by business families with interests there or indentured labour who came back to the sub-continent.
Fragrant rice:
Up until the organic revolution that has taken the country by storm, the only known varieties of fragrant rice have been the Basmati and the jeeraga samba. However, traditionally grown fragrant rice varieties abound in different regions of the country. The eastern belt, particularly Bengal and Orissa are famous for the gobinda bhog variety, and foods made from this rice are used as temple offerings.

What we lose without traditional rice?

The inexhaustible variety of cuisines that India has to offer is reason enough for us to try different rice varieties for different foods. In depriving our homes of this abundance near us, we are consciously choosing to have a homogenous interpretation of all that food is. Traditional rice varieties bring us fibre, micro-nutrients, unique flavours and therefore, unique food experiences.

Roots Veyr brings you all these hand-picked varieties, organically grown and ethically sourced. Choose from our list Here

Traditional Rice

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