Nicer Rice

Move over, white rice, brown rice and nutted wild rice. The rice of choice among discerning palates these days is basmati , a long-grained, scented rice grown along the foothills of the Himalayas and available at many health food, Indian and Middle Eastern grocery stores.

Basmati means “queen of fragrance,” and aficionados say that’s no exaggeration.

“It’s a very delicate flavor. Slightly nutty, with an aroma of orange flower water and almonds. It’s not like any other rice,” says Marla Nichols of the trendy City Restaurant in Los Angeles.

Nichols says that 10 years ago, basmati could only be found in specialty stores and Middle Eastern or Indian restaurants. No longer. Some rice growers think basmati may do for rice in the late 1980s what pasta did for spaghetti in the 1970s. Texamati, an Americanized basmati rice, reports sales 50% higher than last year, according to Farms of Texas Co. in Alvin, Tex.

At Irvine Ranch Farmer’s Market in Woodland Hills, grocery manager Shari Sanders says people ask for basmati by name, and she has problems keeping it stocked.

“It’s a real hot-selling rice. I have a lot of people coming here asking for it all the time,” she says.

Because of its distinctive flavor, basmati can be served without butter or salt. Prices, however, are also distinctive, compared with generic white rice. At Irvine Ranch, which stocks a whole range of basmatis, prices start at $1.69 per bag. An 8-ounce bag of Texas basmati, for instance, fetches $1.89, Sanders says.

But the rice, say those who have tried it, is well worth it. “It’s the only rice we use. Basmati is to rice what champagne is to wine,” Nichols says.

Basmati is also available at Westward Ho in Sherman Oaks and Trader Joe’s in Sherman Oaks. Trader Joe’s manager Mike Galliano says he sells 360 pounds of basmati rice each week, with 3-pound bags going for $2.19.

“It’s very popular,” says Galliano, who counts himself a fan of this gourmet rice. “It smells like popcorn. It has a nice texture and a nutty flavor.”