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In Japanese, the words for rice and meal are the same. The average Japanese eats 200 lbs. of rice a year. Is this why, Japan has one of the highest longevity rates in the world?

Rice strengthens reproductive system

What to throw at weddings

For centuries rice has symbolized fertility, wealth and good health. To this day, rice kernels are thrown at newlyweds. This practise stems from a pagan belief that the fertility of the seeds would be transferred to the couple.

Exactly, why is rice a symbol of fertility? According to Ayurveda, rice is considered a super food for a few reasons.

What's Ayurveda you may ask? Ayurveda means Knowledge (or Science) of life. It is a philosophy concerned with the quality of life. It is the oldest known form of health care in the world. Tracing its roots to the Vedic period in ancient India, circa 1500 B.C.

Getting back to rice and the libido. According to Ayurveda, rice should be considered a super food because it has all eight essential amino acids and folic acid. Considered to be saatvic or pure, rice is easy to digest and helps balance the (vata) metabolism. Finally, rice nourishes the shukra dhatu (the reproductive system), possibly helping to boost the sexual drive. This could be why in some Asian wedding ceremonies, newly weds are required to share a bowl of rice.

White rice vs brown rice

Regular-milled white rice, often referred to as “white” or “polished” rice is the most common form of rice. The outer husk is removed, and the layers of bran are milled until the grain is white.

However, milling and polishing diminishes the nutritional value of the rice. Nutrients like manganese, selenium, magnesium and tryptophan. Manganese synthesizes fatty acids, which is of significance to ensuring a healthy nervous system. It also produces cholesterol which is primarily utilized for making sex hormones.

Additionally, the selenium content in brown rice is a key colon cancer fighting component. Selenium, in addition, is an antioxidant important for building immunity and ensuring thyroid hormone metabolism.

Brown rice may not be as attractive as white rice, but don’t overlook its tremendous nutritional value. Basmati rice can be either brown or white with the brown variety having more flavor. When cooked, the basmati rice is lighter and more fluffy than standard white rice, and does not stick together.

Organic brown basmati rice

Why choose long grain rice

Basmati is a long grain rice

There advantages to using long grain rice, especially as opposed to short grain rice types. For one, due to lower gluten in long grain styles of rice, flour made from this rice may be an excellent substitute for people on low gluten or gluten free diets.

The grains of basmati rice are longer than most other types of rice. Cooked grains of Basmati rice are characteristically free flowing rather than sticky, as with most long-grain rice.

Cooked basmati rice can be uniquely identified by its fragrance. Fans of basmati rice claim the rice is more flavorful than shorter grain versions. Basmati has a nutlike flavor.

Origins of Basmati rice

Cultivated for centuries for its spectacular aroma, hence, the designation 'Basmati' which means 'The Perfumed One' in the Hindi language. To be more exact, 'Bass' means fragrant and 'Mati' means soil.

Basmati Rice can only be grown in one place on earth. The pristine, fertile foothills of the Himalayan Range, tended by the finest Indian rice farmers.

Optimal soil and climatic conditions, plus the highly nutritional water from the melting snow gives Basmati Rice its flavor, aroma and fluffy texture. Considered to be the 'Champagne of Rice' for its characterics, light, delicate and separate grains, scented with a wonderful aroma.

Aged White Basmati rice

Basmati is an aromatic rice

Basmati rice is a long grain fragrant rice, aged to enhance aroma and reduce moisture content.

The natural compound that gives aromatic rice the characteristic aroma and flavor is present in all rice, but in the aromatic varieties it is present in much higher concentrations. The most popular domestically grown aromatic rices include della, jasmin and basmati rice.

Della cooks dry, separate and fluffy. Jasmine cooks moist and kernals stick together. Basmati cooks into very long, slender grains. Cooked just right, rice kernals turn out dry, separate and fluffy. When cooked, it swells only lengthwise. Good source of eight essential amino acids and folic acid:

Non-allergenic
gluten free
low in fat
low in salt
no cholesterol
low to medium glycemic index

One serving of rice has about 200 calories, Mostly from carbohydrates, a small amount of protein and a tiny amount of fat. Rice may be more filling because it's a "wet" grain. So called "wet" because grains require the addition of more water during cooking.

Great source of folate, good source of thiamine, niacin, B vitamins and iron.

Popular brand of Basmati rice

Brown basmati provides even more nurtion, with essential minerals such as manganese, selenium and magnesium. All essential to a strong and healthy reproductive system.

Popular brown Basmati rice

Patent battle and American Basmati

Texmati hybrid basmati rice - made in the USA

Historically, the best, most flavorful Basmati rice has come from the Himalayan foothills. Basmati rice is now widely grown in many other parts of the world. Aged Basmati rice is more flavorful, and needs a little more time and a little more water to cook to perfection than 'new' Basmati rice.

RiceTec has been developing a wide range of hybrid rice types since 1988. The company is the world’s largest private hybrid rice researcher, the only hybrid rice seed producer in the U.S., and ranks among North America’s leading specialty rice producers.

... In September 1997, RiceTec won a patent (U.S. Patent No. 5,663,484) on "basmati rice lines and grains." The patent secures lines of basmati and basmati-like rice and ways of analyzing that rice. RiceTec, owned by Prince Hans-Adam of Liechtenstein, faced international outrage over allegations of biopiracy.

It had also caused a brief diplomatic crisis between India and United States with India threatening to take the matter to WTO as a violation of TRIPS which could have resulted in a major embarrassment for the United States. Both voluntarily and due to review decisions by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, RiceTec lost or withdrew most of the claims of the patent, including, most importantly, the right to call their rice lines "basmati." A more limited varietal patent was granted to RiceTec in 2001 on claims dealing with three strains of the rice developed by the company. More Basmati Patent Battle from Wikipedia.