Soak the Acharmati Raw polished rice for 1/2 hour before cooking. Cook it in the ratio of 1:2.5 (For 1 cup rice, add 2.5 cups water). Please adjust the water ratio according to your preference.
WELCOME TO SPIRIT OF THE EARTH
The Earth is an undiluted upsurge,
always ready to create and purge,
time and again, she is patient, fertile, nurturing, stable, steady and secure.
In subtle forms, she instils these characteristics in all living beings;
It is easy for us to connect with her, and learn from her; yet we seldom do so.
At ‘Spirit of the Earth‘ – an initiative by AIM for Seva – we want to give back to earth; our carefully crafted products leave a positive impact and create a sustainable future.
ARTISANAL RICE
Even 70 years ago, over 100,000 heritage rice varieties were being cultivated across India. Each variety was indigenous to a particular region and had a very unique shape, taste and fragrance. They were adaptable to a range of climatic conditions and suited the India environ.
At our farm, we hand select the purest line of heirloom seeds from our farmer network across the country. We follow a traditional cultivation pattern, with only two harvests in a year. It is a culmination of age-old experience, time and minimal technology. We farm using sustainable practices, use our resources responsibly and let the soil rest and replenish between harvests. Hence, we are able to produce artisanal heritage rice varieties. The rice produced at our farm is in short supply – these semi-milled grains have beautiful colour, flavor and are loaded with immense nutritional benefits.
SINGLE SOURCE FARM
It is our farm and we are the farmers
PRODUCED IN SMALL BATCHES
Freshly milled on order
NATURAL FARMING METHODS
Non-GMO – Absolutely Nothing Artificial
OUR RICE VARIETIES
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Acharmati
₹140.00 Per KgOdisha
Acharmati is a short bold rice from Odisha. Though it has pleasant yellow husk, when removed, the kernel is dull white in colour. This fragrant grain is an autumn crop and accordingly to farmers is a high yielding variety. Most scented rice variants from this region are used to make kichadi, pulao, kheer or served as plain table rice.
Cooking Instructions
Tags: Brown Rice, Everyday Table Rice, Fragrant, Pulav, Aromatic -
Ajara Ghansal
₹140.00 Per KgMaharashtra
Ajara Ghansal grown in Kolhapur district is an aromatic grain, which has been cultivated over many generations in Ajara Taluk – some families of farmers have been cultivating Ghansal rice for more than 100 years. Known for its taste and aroma, Ghansal rice is tender and non-sticky.
Cooking Instructions
Soak the Ajara Ghansal rice for 2-3 hours before cooking. Cook it in the ratio of 1:4 (For 1 cup rice, add 4 cups water). Please adjust the water ratio according to your preference.
Tags: Brown Rice, Fragrant, Non Sticky, Special Occasions, Aromatic -
Ambe Mohar
₹140.00 Per KgMaharashtra
“Pej/ Kanji (rice gruel) makes for a great health drink because it allows for better assimilation of Vit D & calcium,” explains nutritionist and fitness expert Rujuta Diwekar. And Ambemohar was the rice used by people in Maharashtra (particularly the Mulshi region in Pune) to prepare this nutritious dish, and it was relished by children and adults.
This short and low yielding grain has the aroma of mango blossoms, hence the name( Ambe means mango, mohar means flowers). It was extensively used in Maharashtra for religious ceremonies and during festivals; the rice was also used to make puffed rice called murmure; the bran from this grain has been used for oil extraction and mushroom cultivation. However since the yield was low, a hybrid variant called Indrayani with ambemohar parentage was developed by the Rice Research Centre near Lonavala. Due to this, farmers gave up this traditional grain in the late 1980s. Awarded a GI tag in 2016, Mulshi Ambemohar rice is believed to have been a favourite of the Peshwa rulers.
Cooking Instructions
Soak the Ambe Mohar rice for 2-3 hours before cooking. Cook it in the ratio of 1:4 (For 1 cup rice, add 4 cups water). Please adjust the water ratio according to your preference.
Soak the Ambe Mohar polished rice for 1/2 hour before cooking. Cook it in the ratio of 1:2.5 (For 1 cup rice, add 2.5 cups water). Please adjust the water ratio according to your preference.
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Badsha Bhog Poha
₹140.00 Per KgWest Bengal
A short and bold grain, the Badsha Bhog heritage rice variety is a high yielding crop, rich in protein and is classified as an aromatic rice. It is one of the varieties ‘fit to serve the king’ hence, it was given the name ‘Badsha Bhog’. Though it is used to prepare payesh, the traditional rice kheer of West Bengal, in most households this rice was saved and served to entertain special guests.
Cooking Instructions
Soak the Badsha Bhog Poha for 10 minutes before cooking.
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Bakul Phool
₹140.00 Per KgWest Bengal
Bakul Phool is one of those heritage rice varieties with a heavy panicle – so when the rice is milled, you would notice that it is large in size. Many have even mistaken it for wheat! But, it is heritage rice, and our sources at the farm have explained that since the grain emits a gracious, yet deep and rich fragrance, similar to the bakul flowers, it was given that name. Some others have told us that the rice flowers resemble the bakul flowers, hence the name.
In his book, ‘ Seeds of Tradition, Seeds of Future’ Dr.Debal Deb writes that the yield potential of Bakul phool was realized when a farmer-volunteer grew it in his farm in Bankura with appropriate supply of organic nutrients and crop spacing. Many heritage rice varieties have greater mean panicle density and grain weight than most high yielding varieties –in short this means that even when grown with zero agrochemical inputs rice varieties, like Bakul Phool can often out-perform most HYVs in terms of grain output.
Cooking Instructions
Soak the rice for 2-3 hours before cooking. Cook it in the ratio of 1:4 (For 1 cup rice, add 4 cups water). Please adjust the water ratio according to your preference.
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Bora
₹140.00 Per KgAssam
In Assam it is common to serve the glutinous Bora rice at social and religious gatherings. The rice is paired with milk or curd along with a liberal spoon of sugar or jaggery. However, people in Assam use the Bora rice extensively to make ‘everyday specials’ like rice beer, pithas (biscuit like confectionaries), chira (flaked rice), sunga chaol (roasted rice inside bamboo internode), hurum (expanded waxy rice), and sandoh guri (roasted parboiled rice powder) all through the year.
Sivasagar a town located in Assam was once the seat of the Ahom kings and is, thus, historically important. The palace in this town referred to as the Kareng Ghar was initiated in 1698 CE. It was originally built on brick and bamboo, and during the reign of Rajehswar Singha, ‘unusual’ binding ingredients, such as a paste made from bora rice and duck eggs were used, to hold different components together. Today, though the palace is in dilapidated condition, the structure is still intact!
Cooking Instructions
Soak the Bora rice for 2 hours before cooking. Cook it in the ratio of 1:4 (For 1 cup rice, add 4 cups water). Please adjust the water ratio according to your preference.
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Chak Hao Angangba
₹160.00 Per KgManipur
Chak Hao Angangba is a red rice from Manipur. The literal meaning of Chak Hao is ‘delicious rice’ (Chak – rice; Hao-delicious).
Cooking Instructions
Soak the Chak Hao Angangba rice for 8 hours before cooking. Cook it in the ratio of 1:5 (For 1 cup rice, add 5 cups water). Please adjust the water ratio according to your preference.
Tags: Red Rice -
Dadsheel
₹140.00 Per KgWest Bengal
Dadsheel is classified as a scented rice variety – however, it does not have a strong fragrance like its counterpart, the Gobinda Bhog. But, if you want ‘tasty’ table rice, this is it. Chef Anumitra Ghosh Dastidar, owner of Edible Archives restaurant in Anjuna, Goa, explains that it is possible to replace imported ingredients with local produce to make an international dish. “One can try using India’s indigenous rice varieties to make say, sushi or risotto,” she said reflecting on her own experience of using the ‘Dadsheel’ rice variety of West Bengal.
After cyclone Aila hit Sundarbans in 2009, the modern salt-tolerant seeds couldn’t survive increased salinity of soil. It compelled Sudebi Mandal from Uttar Gobindokathi village of Sundarbans in North 24 Parganas district to explore heritage rice varieties. In an interview to Down to Earth, she explains that farmers now cultivate Kantarangi and Nico—FRVs (folk rice varieties) that can thrive under such conditions. They are also experimenting with aromatic strains like Kanakchur, Gobindo Bhog, Kamini Bhog, Dadsheel and Chinakamini—for the past three years.
Cooking Instructions
Soak the Dadsheel rice for 2-3 hours before cooking. Cook it in the ratio of 1: 4 (For 1 cup rice, add 3 cups water). Please adjust the water ratio according to your preference.
OUR STORY
We have a small farm, located in a village called Manjakkudi in Tiruvarur district, Tamil Nadu. The primary activity on our farm, is seed conservation and cultivation. As of date, we have been able to collect 213 heritage rice seeds from farmers across the country. After every harvest, we share the seeds with other farmers and also conduct farmer training programmes. Our mission is to get 100 farmers to grow heritage rice varieties using organic practices. The grains we retail at Spirit of the Earth are grown by us on our farm. From seed selection, planting, harvesting, milling, packaging – we do all the work. Most of the information we have one heritage rice varieties have been handed down from farmers. Each grain comes with such beautiful stories and have immense nutritional benefit. We recommend you try a new variety of heritage rice every month; though the grains look similar, each one has an unqiue taste, aroma and texture. As you explore these grains, you will find the one (or many) that you would want to stock in your pantry.
SUBSCRIPTION BOX
Heritage Rice of India Subscription Box
Possibly one of the first in India, Spirit of the Earth’s Heritage Rice of India subscription boxes are an experience – one that allows customers to appreciate and rediscover the indigenous grains of India.
The curated box will present heritage rice varieties from across India; it could be a fragrant grain like a sukhdas (Uttar Pradesh); or Kalajeera a.k.a baby basmati (Orissa), the mildly sweet Kala Bhat (west Bengal); the bold and beautiful red hued Thavalai Kanna Matta (Kerala); or it could be the high in calcium Kuzhiyadichan (Tamil Nadu). Every month will be a delightful surprise!
Click here to learn more.
