Basmati rice holds a special place in my heart and in my heritage. For almost a century now, my family have sold and traded basmati. In recent years, Amira Foods has expanded its global reach to include different varieties of speciality rice, as well as an organic range and an array of snacks and confectionary. Regardless of how far we extend our products, basmati rice and our dedication to offering the highest quality basmati to the world lies at the heart of everything that we do.
Basmati has a long and storied history. Fittingly for a grain of such unmatched quality, it has been a penchant of royalty for centuries, having been enjoyed by all from the Maharajahs of India to the Shahs of Imperial Persia. For thousands of years, basmati has grown in the foothills of the Himalayas across India and Pakistan and pure basmati is a protected product of the region.
There are several theories about the origins and etymology of the name ‘basmati’, but the most commonly accepted theory is that it is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘vasmati’, which means ‘fragrant one’, a reference to the grain’s distinctive, sweet aroma.
Although, grown in the Punjab region in what is now modern day India and Pakistan, basmati first began to make global inroads in the Middle Ages when Indian traders brought the grain to Persia and the Middle East at the height of the Mughal Empire, where the royalty and nobility quickly became besotted with the luxurious rice.
Several centuries later, Amira Foods now lies at the forefront of endeavours to spread the taste and luxury of basmati around the world, with Amira products now sold across oceans in the UK, the UAE, USA, Germany and beyond.
