Manipur hosts more than 25 different traditional rice varieties, many of which are known to have medicinal properties amongst the locals. Unfortunately, many farmers have switched to producing more market friendly HYV’s of rice leading to the slow neglect of traditional varieties.
One such is Moirang Phou.
Moirang is best known for the tentatively listed UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Keibul Lamjao Conservation Area (KLCA), covering Keibul Lamjao National Park (KLNP), the world's only floating national park. In Meitei language, “Phou” (pronounced Fau) means Paddy or unhusked rice and Moirang Phou when translated, refers to the paddy cultivated in Moirang.
A variety once cultivated in and around Moirang and other towns of Bishnupur district, Moirang Phou is now a rarity in its origin town itself. Moirang Phou is a raw, brown rice with a glutinous characteristic. This brown rice has a sticky texture and nutty taste and is locally used to prepare different local delicacies and festive preparations like rice cakes and kheer.
Once commonly grown in a remote town of Manipur, Moirang Phou is now preserved, revived and cultivated in a small village in Tamil Nadu, called Manjakkudi.