Types of Rice: Popular Rice Varieties from the North Indian Kitchen

Sticky Rice Bora Saul is most commonly taken as a breakfast cereal with milk and jaggery. Its sticky quotient makes it a good element in the preparation of kheer and different Jalpan types. This rice is also used in making good quality rice beers.

Boka Saul or mud rice is soft rice that can be taken without being cooked! Just soak it for an hour or so, add a sweet element to it and one can have it with curd or milk and banana. The Boka Saul has been recently bestowed with the GI geographical indication tag by the Government of India Intellectual Property India IPI Body.

A sweet scent and antioxidant properties makes Joha Saul the favorite of rice lovers. Cultivated only in the Brahmaputra valley, the rice has fine kernels unlike the long ones of Basmati and gives a beautiful taste to the person. 

Ahu Saul as upland rice is one of the most favoured rice types by the farmers of Assam. This is because the cultivation period of this rice is characterized by low rainfall and thereby lesser floods.

Black rice is preferred for its super nutritional value- a quality no other rice can beat. The black rice is heavier in comparison to other rice types but has a delicious nutty feel to it when eaten. Black rice is mostly used in preparing sweet dishes and puddings.

Red rice or Bao Dhaan has a unique resistant value, it can tolerate stress and withstand drought-like conditions. The Bao Dhaan grows rapidly during the rainy seasons with the rise in water levels. It is rich in fiber and nutrients like protein, magnesium and phosphorus.

The Brahmaputra-Barak River and its tributaries flank Northeast India making the soil of the region fertile and perfect for harvesting rice. Paddy is the primary food crop and is used widely for consumption.

Rice cultivation accounts for more than 80% of the total cultivable land in the Northeast. The topography and soil quality makes it the best for rice cultivation.
The total rice production in the NE region estimates to around 5.50 million tonnes.
Rice cultivation is carried out in different ecosystems- from plains in the Brahmaputra-Barak valley in Assam to high altitudes of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim.