Things you may not know about Thai Hom Mali, the world’s best rice

[webfact]

 

The pride of the nation, Thai Hom Mali rice (Jasmine Rice) is native to Thailand yet not every Thai knows the history of this delicious grain.

 

Thai Hom Mali rice has been center stage at international competitions many times, most recently at the World Rice Conference held in Dubai early this month when it was recognized with the World’s Best Rice Award 2021 for a second consecutive year. The global prize underlines the top quality of Thai rice, which has taken home the top prize seven times from a total of13 World Rice Conferences.

 

Hom Mali is popular in Thailand and abroad. Its name Hom Mali (which translates as jasmine fragrance) could lead people to assume that it gives off the scent of jasmine, but in fact the aroma is pandan or screwpine.  The “Jasmine” name actually comes from the color of its grain which is white as the jasmine flower. “Jasmine rice” is the trade name of the two popular varieties grown in Thailand — Jasmine 105  (Hom Mali 105) and RD 15 (Kor Koh 15) – and both varieties have a fragrant aroma.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/things-you-may-not-know-about-thai-hom-mali-the-worlds-best-rice/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-12-30

 

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[BritManToo]

All soft rice tastes the same to me.

Obviously sticky rice is different.

[ThailandRyan]

2 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

All soft rice tastes the same to me.

Obviously sticky rice is different.

Yet they do taste different when used to make Khao Tom or Joke.

[KhunLA]

Rarely served, but does taste a wee bit better.  Not much of a rice fan myself.  Prefer the 'fusion' version with pasta for many Thai dishes.

 

Potatoes Rule  ????

[RandiRona]

I heard Basmati is the best??

[H508]

4 minutes ago, RandiRona said:

I heard Basmati is the best??

Well, basmati has more nutritional benefits than hom mali for sure.

[xylophone]

5 minutes ago, RandiRona said:

I heard Basmati is the best??

I have just switched to Basmati as, for me, it has a "taste" which I like.

[RandiRona]

46 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Rarely served, but does taste a wee bit better.  Not much of a rice fan myself.  Prefer the 'fusion' version with pasta for many Thai dishes.

 

Potatoes Rule  ????

Difficult to eat thai curry with pasta. ????

[RandiRona]

51 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

All soft rice tastes the same to me.

Obviously sticky rice is different.

Try Basmati...it has a different flavor.

[realfunster]

49 minutes ago, RandiRona said:

I heard Basmati is the best??

Blasphemy ! 

 

 

[John Drake]

Tastes like rice.

[StayinThailand2much]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

(...) not every Thai knows the history of this delicious grain.

Last time I checked, only a minority of forum members or readers were Thai...

 

I personally do not care much about rice, but if a good article about potatoes were published here, I'd happily read it.

[blazes]

I only eat  my wife's jasmine rice when I am too lazy to make roast potatoes.  Even my VERY Thai wife (gastronomically) admits that roast potatoes are best for taste in the whole world....

[jacko45k]

3 hours ago, BritManToo said:

All soft rice tastes the same to me.

Obviously sticky rice is different.

Khou niaow for the khee niaow as my Mrs likes to say!

[Isaan sailor]

My Isaan wife grows Hom Mali (Jasmine) rice, as well as sticky rice.  When it’s freshly milled, and then cooked—it really does have a delicate fragrance.  I should know—seem to get rice most every day in one form or another.  The fragrance wanes a few months after harvest.

[SiSePuede419]

I prefer the health benefits of Rice Berry but the locals won't eat it unless it's diluted 4:1 with Khao Suay.

[Tonsan]

Basmati is best for diabetics as it has a much lower glyceamic index. If I eat Thai rice I'm asleep inside 45 minutes.

Better for the dog also

[gamb00ler]

We only eat straight hom mali with a few delicately flavored Thai dishes such as thom kha gai or steamed fish with soy sauce.  Our mainstay for rice is a blend of ½ black riceberry rice, ¼ brown jasmine rice and ¼ hom mali.  This blend gives substantially more fiber and a more full sensation so we eat less carbohydrate calories overall.

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, BritManToo said:

All soft rice tastes the same to me.

Obviously sticky rice is different.

Thai Hom Mali rice [Jasmine rice] I have found locally has lost it's quality over the last few years...

obviously the samples that were used and won the competition was screened and top notch..

As for worlds best rice I by far prefer Indian Basmati long grain..

2 years aged and is superb.

[bradiston]

Best rice I've had in Thailand comes with my favourite Indian thali. Light, fluffy, long grain, can eat it on its own. Most rice dished up in "Thai" restaurants is just any old rice I reckon. Especially for foreigners.

[straylight]

My favorite is Japanese macrobiotic brown rice. Found some in Gourmet Supermarket last week. Problem it is many times more expensive than any other rice including the Thai grown Japanese rice.

[vandeventer]

5 hours ago, RandiRona said:

Difficult to eat thai curry with pasta. ????

Try it with the small elbow macaroni and for god sakes don't forget the peas.

[jacko45k]

8 minutes ago, vandeventer said:

Try it with the small elbow macaroni and for god sakes don't forget the peas.

Orzo pasta may work well.

[TroyC]

After my gfs last visit to the UK we had such an epic row as I refused to agree with her that Hom Mali was tastier than premium Basmati, her attitude to my blasphemy was akin to criticising the Thai monarchy ????. After a few months I had completely won her over and she's come over to the dark side and now prefers Basmati.

[The Hammer2021]

Basmati, Iranian and Surinam rice is as good or better

[jacko45k]

6 minutes ago, TroyC said:

After my gfs last visit to the UK we had such an epic row as I refused to agree with her that Hom Mali was tastier than premium Basmati, her attitude to my blasphemy was akin to criticising the Thai monarchy ????. After a few months I had completely won her over and she's come over to the dark side and now prefers Basmati.

Progress......she is wising up.

[chilly07]

1 hour ago, gamb00ler said:

We only eat straight hom mali with a few delicately flavored Thai dishes such as thom kha gai or steamed fish with soy sauce.  Our mainstay for rice is a blend of ½ black riceberry rice, ¼ brown jasmine rice and ¼ hom mali.  This blend gives substantially more fiber and a more full sensation so we eat less carbohydrate calories overall.

Leave out the hom mali and you've got my vote!

[stigar]

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Khou niaow for the khee niaow as my Mrs likes to say!

Or maybe "khee nook"..he-he

[moogradod]

Reading some posts here I urgently feel the need to hurry to your gustatory rescue: Not Jasmine Rice, nor Basmati Rice will ever be a match for Japanese Short Grain and you should really try that.

 

And here is (although grown in California) the best I ever had. It is a short-medium grain variety and delicious just by itself as can be. It is not available in any Thai store I know otherwise I would not eat anything else:

 

 

But as a substitute, you could try imported Japanese Rice as I do. Yes, it is expensive but judge yourself if it is worth the money or not.

[GreasyFingers]

16 minutes ago, moogradod said:

Reading some posts here I urgently feel the need to hurry to your gustatory rescue: Not Jasmine Rice, nor Basmati Rice will ever be a match for Japanese Short Grain and you should really try that.

 

And here is (although grown in California) the best I ever had. It is a short-medium grain variety and delicious just by itself as can be. It is not available in any Thai store I know otherwise I would not eat anything else:

 

 

But as a substitute, you could try imported Japanese Rice as I do. Yes, it is expensive but judge yourself if it is worth the money or not.

But does it eat well with fish sauce when you have nothing else.