We offer a variety of Thai rice in various qualities and packaging from 2lbs to 1 MT jumbo bags, directly with manufacturers brands or your own.
- Jasmine rice
- Pathumtani rice
- White rice
- Jasmine brown rice
- Sweet rice
Thai Jasmine Rice – Kao Hom Mali Thai Jasmine Rice – Hom Mali – Thailand’s best-known rice, is something increasing numbers of people are becoming familiar with and have come to love eating, as the popularity of Thai food continues to soar worldwide. In fact, it has become so widely distributed and so synonymous with Thai cuisine abroad that some people have developed a misconception that jasmine rice is the only rice most Thais eat on a daily basis. This is not so as Thailand grows and consumes many other good-eating varieties and some regions of the country actually prefer other kinds of rice to jasmine rice.
Different Varieties of Jasmine Rice Vastly different topography, weather patterns, soil conditions, and consumption preferences combine to determine the varieties grown in each of Thailand’s many regions. For instance, in the mountainous north, the monsoon rains come early and end quickly, so varieties that grow and ripen fast are cultivated. On the other hand, growing conditions in the northeastern region are ideal for jasmine rice and lots of it is grown there. Jasmine rice is, therefore, not just jasmine rice: where it is grown is very important.
Why is it Called Jasmine Rice? What is jasmine rice anyway? Its name may be misleading to unknowing westerners thinking that the rice is infused artificially with the essence of jasmine blossoms. In actuality, the rice is naturally fragrant but the aroma is not that of jasmine flowers but closer to that of “pandan” leaves (or bai toey in Thai). When the native rice was first discovered around 1950 and brought into cultivation by a farmer in Chonburi province, it was cherished because the grains, when milled, had a beautiful long shape, a shiny translucence and were white like jasmine blossoms, accompanied by a distinct sweet aroma (the rice does contain a substance also found in sweetly fragrant pandan leaves). Initially, it was given the name “white jasmine blossom rice” (kao kao malin or kao kao dok mali), but sometime later people mistakenly began calling it “fragrant jasmine” (hom mali) rice and the name somehow stuck.
Variations in Jasmine Rice Besides where the rice is grown, the fragrance, texture and flavor can differ depending on the age of the rice. Jasmine rice is softest and most fragrant when newly harvested. As it ages, it gradually loses fragrance and becomes firmer and dryer, requiring more water to cook. For this reason, it’s important to check the date of harvest when asking for an offer. The mention “New Crop” followed by the current year (i.e., “New Crop 2014″). The primary rice harvest season is between October and December in main rice-growing regions in Thailand and new rice is shipped out starting in November.