The popularity of Indian rice across the world

Rice is such a regular part of many cultures’ diets, it is a wonder that Indian rice is so popular across the world. Specifically the basmati rice, often known as the king of rice is extremely popular across the world. So much so in fact that no matter where you go, you will find at the very least one store selling basmati rice.

Much of this has to do of course with the widespread Indian diaspora. Wherever a people go, they tend to take their culture with them and food being a central aspect of any culture, it is no wonder rice also travelled with Indians. It is a widely known fact for example, that chicken tikka masala, a dish of Indian origin is one of the most, if not outright the most, popular dishes in the UK. Being a curry, it is often served with rice.

Another reason is possibly due to a single variety of rice, the basmati, often known as the king of rice. Though many companies have tried to patent various strains of basmati, it is indisputably Indian in origin. In fact, the country accounts for almost 70% of the world’s basmati production. Basmati is so popular in fact, that the country exports almost 65% of what it produces, with only 35% remaining for consumption within the country.

There are of course, multiple varieties of rice, each of them popular with one segment of the population or the other. Regardless of the variety however, it is the Indian rice which has consistently proven itself superior in terms of both taste and appearance.