When it comes to food, there are very few cultures that get emotional about their food, we Bengalis are one of them. While the world taunts Bengalis for our love for fish and rice, rice has grown to be something much more than a comfort food or staple dish. From breakfast to dinner, we have curated unique recipes that use rice in a different way to relish the taste buds. Even Bengali traditions, festivals and holy ceremonies have a consecrated use of rice.
Cultural Importance
West Bengal can described as the rice-bowl that stretches from the coast of China to Japan. It supplies premium quality rice to other states and meets the rice demand of the country. Durga Puja, the biggest festival in Bengal involves ‘Bhog’ or rice dishes along with other dishes cooked with love and offered to the Goddess ‘’Durga’’. Raw rice is used in the festivities and to welcome the Goddess. Another incarnation of ‘Durga’ is Goddess ‘Annapurna’, who represents the giver of rice or paddy. Every year, the month of November marks the celebration of ‘Nobanno’ when the new harvest is welcomed by the rural Bengal and is celebrated by offering the new rice to Goddess ‘’Lakshmi’’, rurally known as ‘’Nobanno Lakshmi’’. ‘’Dhan’’ commonly called paddy or unhusked rice find its use during Lakshmi puja or during weddings and represents flourishments .
Variations
On the basis of the dehusking process of the paddy, rice in Bengal is of two types- Seddo or boiled rice and Atap or sun-dried rice. Depending on the cuisine, the type of rice also differs. Be it the aromatic Gobindobhog or the daily-use Bashkathi, from the long grain Basmati to the unique Kalabhat, Bengal precedents the world when it comes to recipes that involve rice. From starters to desserts, Bengali cuisine uses rice in an inexplicable way. While Fish-Fry is one of the most traditional and popular starters that uses rice flour as a main binding agent, ‘’Payesh’’, one of the most sanctified and holy dishes that is a preparation of Gobindobhog rice in creamy condensed milk. ‘’Poush-Parbon’’ is the celebration of newly cultivated ‘’Date Jaggery’’ that involves making dumplings of rice flour with Jaggery. Thus, the life of a Bengali revolves around rice.
Nutritional Value
Along with cultural importance, rice is a nutritious food that makes it fit for everyday consumption. The nutrients content of rice are discussed below:
1. Carbohydrate: Rice is rich in carbohydrate, making up to 80% of its body weight. Carbohydrate helps in providing energy to the body as well as the organs to carry out necessary functions.
2. Proteins: Cooked rice also contains a protein that is the building blocks of the body.
3. Fibre: being a rich source of carbohydrate, rice contains fibre which aids good digestion and excretion.
4. Minerals: White rice is rich in minerals like Manganese, Niacin and Magnesium, that helps in promoting bone health and reducing inflammation.
Why choose Pragati Rice?
Pragati rice is thoroughly selected from premium quality grains and then brought to your plate. Our products undergo multiple quality checks that ensure its standard. It is cultivated naturally using zero artificial chemicals or fertilizers and it’s good for health.
