Latest Blow For Thailand: No Longer World’s Tastiest Rice
- Bloomberg
- A rice-mill owner displayed jasmine rice before, left, and after milling in Chiang Mai, Thailand in 2009.
Thailand’s agriculture sector has major problems to deal with right now, as floodwaters destroy large swathes
of the country’s farmland. But another recent development will also be
hard to swallow for many Thais: Their much touted jasmine rice, the
pride of the nation, is no longer considered the tastiest in the world.
That’s the conclusion of a select panel of judges
that met in Ho Chi Minh City last week and sampled more than 30 entries
from across the world to rank them based on their flavor, color and
quality. The contest was started two years ago in conjunction with the
World Rice Conference organized by a global rice consultancy, The Rice
Trader. Thailand’s popular jasmine rice was the winner in the previous
two editions.
But the winner this year was Myanmar’s pearl paw san variety – giving yet another reason for this Southeast Asian country to celebrate after a recent release of political prisoners and other signs of a reforming government.
“We judged the different varieties of rice on a
stand-alone basis, for only their intrinsic aspects, and apart from
water that is of course essential to cook the rice, no other ingredients
were added while choosing the best among them,” said Michael Cross, a
chef with Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Sacramento, Calif.
Rice producers around the world have long argued
about who has the tastiest grain, and for some countries, it’s a point
of intense national pride. There is a vast number of rice varieties
available world-wide, with each being special in its own way, said
Jeremy Zwinger, chief executive of The Rice Trader. He said one of the
grades that narrowly missed the crown in this year’s competition was
Venere, a black rice grown in Italy, the other being Thai jasmine.
- Associated Press
- Farmers planted rice seedlings in a field southwest of Yangon, Myanmar, on June 13.
Not surprisingly, judging all the varieties is a
sticky affair. While the tasting of beverages such as wine and tea are
common, it’s not as common for rice, even though most people in the
world consume it. “It is for the first time that I am a judge in a
competition to select the best rice,” said Adam Tanner, executive chef
with the Sheraton Saigon Hotel.
Fortunately there are some fairly definitive
guidelines, at least compared to the somewhat-subjective standards used
to taste wine, said Mr. Cross. He said fragrant types of rice will score
higher if they retain their special aroma even after cooking. “I smell
the rice both before and after the cooking.”
Overall appearance is also important. “Impurities, yellow dust, broken pieces can be a dampener.”
What may be good for one type of rice, though, isn’t
necessarily a strong point for other types. Long-grain aromatic rice
types have relatively less starch to ensure they are fluffy and fall
apart from one another after cooking, just as they are uncooked.
Japonica types of rice such as Calrose, meanwhile,
are sticky. Higher starch content helps them hold together and they are
used in sushi, said Mr. Cross.
Even in long-grain aromatic rice types there are
subtle differences. Thai and Cambodian jasmine rice is to be sold fresh
while it retains its fragrance, said Chareon Laothamatas, managing
director of Bangkok-based Uthaiproduce Co. The Indian subcontinent’s
premium basmati rice has to go through an aging process, though not as
long as the several years needed for rum or whisky.
Quality can be an issue even before the rice enters
the kitchen. For rice to taste good it has to be sourced accordingly and
that is an important part of a commercial contract. Uniformity in the
length of the grain so crucial in the rice trade that cargo surveyors
will manually assess samples before shipments. Phaitoon Rasmee, a rice
manager for Intertek Testing Services, cites the example of Thai 100%
Grade A white rice, in which 70% of all grains in a cargo should be more
than 7.0 millimeters in length. Other grades are known for their
shorter length.
The Pearl Paw San that won the contest is a bold,
round grain and it isn’t very long at 5.0-5.5 millimeters. Nevertheless
its length can increase 3 to 4 times the original size after cooking,
said Tin Htut Oo, a senior advisor to Myanmar Rice Industry Association.
He said it has a unique fragrance, which is retained after cooking.
“It initially looked small, but ended up as a
medium-size grain on cooking,” said Mr. Cross from Le Cordon Bleu
College of Culinary Arts. There is a firmness in the bite while eating
and it has a nice texture, added Mr. Tanner, the chef from Sheraton
Saigon Hotel.
Ref:http://blogs.wsj.com/indonesiarealtime/2011/10/28/latest-blow-for-thailand/
Tasting the Pearl
June , 2015
For
nearly half the world’s population, rice is life. Rice provides one of
the main sources of calories for billions of people. It is a staple, a
comfort food, a side dish and a main meal. In fact, rice is so integral
to many cultures around the world it is often intermingled with
mythologies, gods and goddesses, ceremonies and celebrations. It’s also a
highly nutritious component of a healthy diet. Rice gives you natural
nutrients, fibers, proteins and is an excellent source of Vitamin B3.
Rice is the longest continuously grown cereal crop in the world and
according to the International Rice Re- search Institute (IRRI) it is
“one of the most important developments in history”.
Rice is a symbol of cultural identity, global unity and life. Rice
has a meaning beyond just food supply and employment in Asia, namely it
is also seen as a political good due to its massive influence on social,
economic and political stability. The United Nations paid a special
tribute to rice, the only food crop honoured twice. The Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations had declared 1966
the Year of Rice and the year 2004 was also declared the Inter- national
Year of Rice by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
92% of all rice is farmed in Asia, and Myanmar is the seventh biggest
rice growing country in the world. Myanmar exports rice to various
parts of the world. The 2014-15 fiscal year’s rice export volume
exceeded the expectations of the Myanmar Rice Federaion, which had
predicted the figure at 1.5 million tons.
Thaung Win, a rice exporter who also acts as secretary of the Myanmar
Rice Millers Association, said that outside the China trade, rice
shipments to some EU (European Union) countries, Japan and other ASEAN
nations are on the rise.
In Myanmar, a person eats 500 pounds of rice a year, an astonishing
figure when it is reduced to a daily consumption of 1-1/4 pounds per
day, but perhaps not so astonishing when you consider that Myanmar is a
land where rice cultivation most likely originated thousands of years
ago.
Today, rice is the country’s most important crop. Myanmar’s rice
exports rose more surepearlriceturnsoutfirmandchewyand not soft and
mushy.
In 2011, Pearl Paw San was awarded World’s best tasting rice at the
3rd World Rice Conference held in Ho Chi Minh, Viet- nam, – giving a big
reason for Myanmar to celebrate . It was the first time that Thai
Jasmine rice – the pride of the nation – did not win this contest. The
select panel of judges sampled more than 30 entries from across the
world to rank them based on their flavour, colour and quality. The
contest was started two years ago in conjunction with the World Rice Conference
organized by a global rice consultancy -The Rice Trader. Thailand’s much
touted jasmine rice was the winner in the previous two editions.
Jasmine rice has been an important export commodity of Thailand; it
generates highest value of exports among all rice export commodities
from the country.
Rice producers around the world have long argued about who has the
tastiest grain, and for some countries, it’s a point of intense national
pride. There is a vast number of rice varieties available world-wide,
with each being special in its own way. Myanmar’s Pearl Paw San rice is
famous throughout the Southeast Asian region as arguably the tastiest
and most fragrant rice on the market. It is a bold, round grain and it
isn’t very long at 5.0-5.5 millimeters. Nevertheless, its length can increase 3 to 4 times the original size after cooking. Pearl Paw
San rice is grown in the Ayeyarwaddy delta region and Sagaing region.
Both the regions have very fertile soil. Paw San is harvested once per
year from November to January.
What makes the rice aromatic? The presence of 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline
compound is most closely associated with the fragrance of basmati and
jasmine rice. Although many other compounds are also found in the
headspace of fragrant rice varieties but 2-acetyl-1-pyr- roline is
widely known to be the main cause of the distinctive basmati and jasmine
fragrance. Basmati grains contain 0.09 parts per million of the
chemical compound 2-ace- tyl-1-pyrroline, which is about 12 times more
than concentrations found in unscented rice varieties and enough to give
Basmati its distinctive spicy fragrance. The desirability of fragrance
has resulted in strong human preference and selection for this trait.
Non-fra- grant rice varieties contain very low levels of
2-acetyl-1-pyrroline.
Though aromatic rice contributes to a small share in the world
market, but it is valued at the highest price among all types of rice.
Two prominent aromatic varieties of rice in the world market include
Basmati grown in India and Pakistan, and Khao Dawk Mali or Jasmine rice
grown in Thailand. Among rice traded in the world market these two
varieties have been given the highest value. The price of Thai Jasmine
rice is nearly double the price of the regular Thai white rice while
Basmati is the world’s most sought-after rice, fetching up to ten times
more than common rice in international markets. Paw San also won the
coveted prize for its flavor which is a very delightful fragrance which
is retained after cooking. The unique aroma of Paw San is a result of a
combination of the presence of the major gene for fragrance, other minor
genes, and the climatic and soil conditions in Myanmar where it is
grown.
Ref:http://www.myanmarinsider.com/tasting-the-pearl/
Myanamr Paw San Rice -
Worlds best rice- also known as Pearl Paw San
Paw San was awarded best rice in the world 2011
Paw San is really a unique fragrant rice which double and
even triple its length after cooking.
We have 2 qualities named:
Paw San - Super Premium
Paw San - Premium
Paw San - Super Premium is the most fragrant one.
A good quality Paw San cost often more
than 1000 USD per MT (Metric Ton).
Quality
We offer SGS inspection to meet
the highest demands. Our factory has ISO 9001:2008 and UKAS 039 and the
rice has HACCP certificate. Below you can find more details of our
popular rice, and on the document page you have access to all the certificates.
Paw San was awarded Worlds best
rice at the World Rice Conference 2011 held in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam.
Paw San is very special, excellent in eating quality, soft texture and
with very delightful fragrance. Paw San can be cultivated only in two
regions, Ayeyarwaddy Delta Region and Sagaing Region. Paw San is
harwested once per year from November to January.
Paw San might soon become
famous in the international market, and it's already named as "Pearl
rice" from Myanmar. It is famous for its elongation characteristics (Up
to three times bigger than original size after cooking), but also for
its nutritional benefits and of course great taste. See specifications
below:
Paw San - Super Premium
100% Premium Quality
Paw San - Super Premium is grown
near Shwe Bo Township in Sagaing Region, North-Western part of Myanmar,
situated at latitude 21'30 north and longitude 94'97 east. This region
is located between two major rivers, the Ayeyarwaddy River and The
Chindwin River. Before 1988, Sagaing Region was regarded as the very dry
area and rice was not able to be grown even in the rainy season due to
the low rainfall. But due the development of dams and reservoir, it has
now become one of the four major granaries of Myanmar.
Paw San - Premium
100% Super Grade A
Paw San - Premium is a fragrant
rice of highest quality. It is grown by using pure photosensitive seed
plated in the fertile soil in the Ayeyarwaddy region.
Above you can see Paw San when it is cooked!