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.

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Kamini Bhog was and still is reserved for those special occasions in many parts of India. Though not as popular as Gobinda Bhog, this glutinous rice originating in from the Sundarbans grows in deep water. This bold scented rice, is often parboiled or  made into rice flakes (chira) and are used extensively in rituals.

On February 10, 1904, Viceroy Lord Curzon visited Burdwan to confer the title of maharaja on then king of Burdwan Vijaychanda, says Niradabaran Sarkar, a historian of Burdwan. Vairabchandra Nag, a local sweet-maker, had made the sitabhog and mihidana to mark the occasion. Lord Curzon was surprised to have such unique sweets and praised and thanked Vairabchandra Nag in the certificate given to him saying he never had such sweet ever before.

Mihidana is today one of  the most sought after sweets from Bengal.  It is made from powdered Kamini Bhog, Gobinda Bhog and basmati rice, mixed with a small amount of besan and saffron for a golden colour. They are blended very well with water by hand till it turns light and the mix is poured through a brass ladle with tiny holes into a pot of ghee and deep-fried. The fine fried small rice-like grains are dipped in sugar syrup and drained once soaked.

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Having a sweet and spirited name, Madhumalathi is a mildly scented everyday table rice. It was and still is being cultivated in the high land of Barind area of Malda District – however in small patches of land. Legend has it that certain heritage rice varieties, including the Madhumalati had a distinct cultural value associated; hence these grains were reserved for local religious events. It was used to make payesh, pulao – however, we have served it with just a dollop of ghee and dal, and it’s divine.

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The Randhuni Pagal is one of the most aromatic strains of rice from West Bengal. The fairly strong aroma, can make the cook go mad – hence the name. Light on the stomach, sleek and tasty, it’s a perfect as a table rice.

The Bengali daily Prothom Alo, featured a farmer called Yousuf Molla in 2013. Yousuf hails from Duboil village in Tonor sub-district of Rajshahi (Bangaladesh), and has been quietly conserving 60 strains of aromatic rice for his personal consumption. Most of the rice varieties are drought tolerant, pest resistant and do not require chemical fertilizers and pesticides for growth. Like his father, Yousuf cultivates these variants and enjoys serving it for his guests. He has been doing this for the last 30 years. One fine day, a group of farmers met him and collected the seeds of Randhuni Pagal – they came to know of its sweet scent, and believe that it could fetch a better market price than a basmati. Besides the price, Yousuf, explains that the speed at which heritage strains are becoming extinct, it has only further inspired him to cultivate these grains and share it with more farmers.

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