Beautiful, fragrant grains with an exquisite
taste, Thai Hom Mali rice is worth seeking
out. Photo by Emily Chang | THE NIBBLE. |
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In these fiscally cautious times, we’ve cut back on visits to our neighborhood Thai restaurant (sorry, guys—miss you!), where we easily ran up tabs of $60 for dinner for two. Instead, we’ve been cooking with Thai Kitchen’s easy-to-use products. One item in the line that has become a mainstay in our kitchen is the lovely jasmine rice, a variety known as Hom Mali.
The name Hom Mali has been trademarked for jasmine rice that is indigenous to Thailand. As with all organic products, each region gives its own special spin to the flavor based on terroir and microclimate, and rice is no different. As with other jasmine rice, Thailand’s rice crop had previously been labeled simply as jasmine rice or its synonyms: aromatic rice, scented rice or fragrant rice.
However, Thailand developed three proprietary varieties of its indigenous jasmine rice, which is grown in the lush tropical climate of northeast Thailand. In the process of producing strains that obtain higher yields with higher resistance to diseases and insect pests, Thailand has gained international recognition for its unique jasmine rice. And now you can impress the staff at Thai restaurants, by asking, “Is this Hom Mali?” |
| To those who think rice is bland: There are certainly bland varieties of white rice, including the ubiquitous short-grain variety served in Chinese restaurants. But try jasmine rice—and more specifically, a box of Jasmine Rice Select Harvest from Thai Kitchen (you’ll see a “Genuine Thai Hom Mali Rice” circle on the box). The pure white, long, plump grains are wonderfully fragrant (the name “jasmine” comes from the scent, which has overtones of jasmine). The rice is wonderfully soft and moist, and so delicious that we enjoy eating it plain. We cooked it on the stovetop for 30 minutes, but you can microwave it in half the time. Rice is gluten free.
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