Dinajpur District, Bengal

Kalijira Rice is another aristocrat among rices. In the Bengal region of South Asia where it originates, its delicate taste, aroma and capacity for elongation on cooking have earned it the title "Prince of Rice." Although this fine tiny rice is traditionally used for weddings, festivals and religious ceremonies, we find it to be an excellent every-day rice.

Today the Bengal region is divided between Bangladesh and India's West Bengal State. Our supply comes from the Dinajpur district of Bangladesh, which is famous for rice production. Although there are about 7,000 varieties of rice grown in various parts of the country, kalijira is among the most prized exotic long-grain varieties. In Bengali, kalijira means "black (kali) cumin (jira)," as the unhulled rice grain is black and resembles black cumin seeds, so popular in local cuisine.

However, while its aromatic Indian cousin basmati rice is found on grocery shelves the world over, a report published in 2002 found that traditional kalijira varieties were almost at the verge of extinction. It observed that many traditional varieties of fine rice had already been lost forever due to replacement by high-yielding varieties based on foreign germplasm. Since the region of Bengal is one of the most densely populated regions on earth, with a population density exceeding 900/km² (.38 sq mile), it's easy to understand the enormous pressure on farmers to produce large quantities of rice, regardless of taste or quality. We are proud to be part of the effort to acquaint rice-lovers everywhere with this exceptional grain and thereby help ensure its preservation.