Choosing the right rice

Choosing the right rice.

Rice is the staple food for Asians. Currently, many ethnic groups tend to eat rice. However, how much do we know about rice? As an entrepreneur invited by the Ministry of Commerce of Thailand to involve in Thaiflex, the largest international trade exhibition of food and agricultural industry in Thailand, one question that many visitors usually ask is what the difference between Hom Mali and Jasmine rice is. Actually, Hom Mali rice is the original Thai name of Jasmine rice. Nevertheless, after execution of the new Thailand agricultural standard, Jasmine rice without mixing with other rice varieties is addressed as Hom Mali rice, which confuses customers. Thus, the objective of this article is to explain difference between Hom Mali and Jasmine rice. 

To begin with, according to Georges Giraud, food marketing professor from France, fragrant rice is classified as a premium product in the rice market because it has well-shaped appearance, subtle aroma, and desirable taste and texture. Fragrant rice consists of diverse varieties, namely Basmati, Phka Rumduol, and Jasmine rice. In particular, the well-known Jasmine rice comprises only two varieties which are Khao Dawk Mali 105 and RD 15. The two varieties originate from Thailand as geographical conditions in terms of climates, soil physiochemical properties, sunlight, and temperatures are dramatically appropriate for their growth.  Definitely, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Owing to such a condition, Thai Jasmine rice is softer and more aromatic than fragrant rice from other regions. Thus, its eating quality is acceptable for the global market. This is the reason that Thai Jasmine rice is expensive.

However, there are other fragrant rice varieties in Thailand, namely Pathum Thani 1, Hom Khlong Luang 1, Hom SuphanBuri, Hom Pitsanuloke 1, and RD33 as well, which are cheaper than Jasmine rice. According to Georges Giraud, because physical attributes of Jasmine rice and the others are not explicitly different, some traders mix Jasmine rice with other cheap fragrant rice and launch it in the market as Jasmine rice in order to penetrate the mass market. Accordingly, there are pure Jasmine rice and mixed Jasmine rice in the market. Doing so undermines reliability of Thai Jasmine rice and confuses customers. Consequentially, the Ministry of Commerce of Thailand promulgated the new Thai Agricultural Standard in 2017 to create two brands for fragrant rice, which are Hom Mali Rice and Jasmine Rice. Meanwhile, Hom Mali rice means pure Jasmine rice for the high end market, and Jasmine rice means mixed Jasmine rice with other fragrant rice for the mass market.

To illustrate, there are two varieties declared as Hom Mali rice that is only Khao Dawk Mali 105 and RD 15 variety. If manufacturers or traders sell the product resulting from the two varieties, they are claim their products as “Hom Mali rice” on their package. Regard to purity, either brown rice or white rice claimed as Hom Mali rice has to contain such a variety at least 92% by weight. The traders can verify purity from a certification from a related governmental department before exporting.

On the other hand, a rice combination containing Khao Dawk Mali 105 and RD 15 less than 92% by weight is unable to claim as Hom Mali rice. Because some traders want to penetrate the mass market, the two varieties may be unaffordable for their customers. Thus, they has to mix cheaper fragrant rice for their customers. As a result, mixing other fragrant rice varieties which may be or may be not Khao Dawk Mali 105 and RD 15 is declared as Jasmine rice. As far as the Thai agricultural standard is concerned, Jasmine rice stems from combination of the same fragrant rice varieties at least 80% by weight. In other words, mixing any fragrant rice varieties calls Jasmine rice.  To wrap up, Hom Mali brand is premium Jasmine rice, but Jasmine rice is mixed fragrant rice.  “Thus, Hom Mali rice and Jasmine rice are not the same product”.

Currently, Hom Mali rice becomes the premium product among fragrant rice. 

Not only does Hom Mali rice has natural fragrance and flora taste, but also it contains carbohydrates and protein without gluten which causes intestinal damage to restrain small intestine from absorbing nutrients. According to Shimma Badawy and S. Mahgoub, agricultural professors from Egypt, Hom Mali rice contains abundant iron that is beneficial for tissues and immune system as well. This is the reason that Thai Hom Mali rice was voted by the World Rice Conference as the world’s best rice in 2017.

K.D. Rice Intertrade Company exports authentic Hom Mali rice from Ubon rice fields to our customers. Our manufactures, Kitudom Rice Mill, deliberately produces Hom Mali rice with advanced technological machine to ensure customers the premium product. With sophisticated production process, we acquired standards, which are Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), and ISO 9001:2015. Thus, our production process comforms to food safety management systems. We are truly confident that our products meet customers’ satisfaction. The proof of the pudding is in the eating.