Tasting Basmati Rice
Basmati rice is our go-to choice for pilaf, biryani, and the classic Persian dish called chelow and as a base for curry. In India, where basmati originated, it is considered part of the national heritage; in 2016 it was granted Geographical Indication (GI) status, similar to the European Union’s protection for Champagne and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Indian cooks prize basmati for its fragrance as well as the extreme elongation and slenderness of the cooked grains. But in American supermarkets, it’s one of several options for long-grain white rice, so it’s easy to overlook.
To learn more, we bought eight nationally available white basmati rices, two grown in the United States and six from India and Pakistan. We sampled them plain, cooked according to package directions; in our recipe for Basic Rice Pilaf, where the grains are toasted in butter; and in our Chicken Biryani, which involves parcooking the rice in spice-infused water and then simmering it with layers of caramelized onions, chopped fresh herbs, and pan-seared chicken thighs. In each blind tasting, we rated the rice
