Thai fragrant rice = local rice + essence? How to choose the real "fragrant rice"?

Last night's 3.15 Party featured a number of cases, including "beauty injection chaos", "poor quality helmets", and "live broadcast of a sad drama". Among them, "Thai fragrant rice" even became a hot search on Weibo, sparking a lot of discussion among netizens.

Source: Depart from Chengdu

So, what is the difference between real Thai fragrant rice and ordinary rice, and how do you identify them?

1

Thai fragrant rice is actually "flavored rice"

Thai fragrant rice (jasmine rice) is a long-grain rice native to Thailand. It is favored by consumers for its soft and glutinous taste and unique aroma. However, fake Thai fragrant rice has appeared in the market in our country.

According to CCTV Finance, the two types of Thai fragrant rice claimed by Huainan Shouxian Yongliang Rice Industry are both counterfeit. They were originally local rice from Anhui, but after adding flavoring, they turned into fragrant rice from Thailand. my country's "Standards for the Use of Food Additives" stipulates that food additives should not be used for the purpose of adulteration, counterfeiting, and forgery, so the company's practice is illegal.

Fake Thai rice

Source: CCTV Finance

Rice flavor

Source: CCTV Finance

Real Thai fragrant rice has a unique jasmine fragrance. So, what substances in the rice does the fragrance come from?

Studies have shown that Thai fragrant rice contains a variety of aroma components such as hydrocarbons, aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, phenols, heterocyclics and aromatics. Among them, ketone compounds, aldehyde compounds and aromatic compounds are the main aroma substances of Thai fragrant rice. The characteristic aroma of Thai fragrant rice is mainly related to compounds such as n-hexanol, 1-octen-3-ol, phenol, 4-methylphenol, n-hexanol and 1-octen-3-ol .

In addition to its rich aroma, Thai fragrant rice also has higher nutritional value than ordinary rice. Thai fragrant rice has a high carbohydrate content, rich protein and amino acid types, high fiber and beneficial elements such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron. In addition, the amylose content (which determines the hardness of the rice after cooking) of Thai fragrant rice is less than 20%, so the cooked rice is stickier and has a softer taste.

2

Why is Thai fragrant rice so famous?

Thai fragrant rice enjoys a high reputation internationally and is especially popular among consumers in China. Data shows that as of May 2022, China imported 30,700 tons of rice from Thailand, ranking fifth in import volume.

Thai fragrant rice is slender, white, and has a floral aroma. Cook a bowl of hot white rice, which is crystal clear, soft, glutinous, and sweet. Who wouldn't love such rice? (No exaggeration here, please be careful when buying, and don't be fooled by "technology and hard work"~)

Source: Baidu Encyclopedia

As we all know, the key to rice cultivation is soil and water. Why is Thai fragrant rice so outstanding? This is due to Thailand's unique natural geographical environment.

The Indochina Peninsula, where Thailand is located, is a tropical monsoon climate zone with abundant light, heat and water resources. The annual average temperature is 24-30 degrees Celsius. Affected by the southwest monsoon and northeast monsoon, there is abundant rainfall all year round, with an annual rainfall of up to 1,227 mm. The warm and humid climate conditions are definitely a blessing from God.

Farmland in Mae Hong Son Province in northern Thailand

Source: Pexels

Thailand is also known as the "Rice Bowl of Asia". The rice-growing area is very large . The four major rice-growing areas have different soil conditions, ecological environment, and climatic conditions. Among them, the northern rice-growing areas have the best qualifications. They are distributed in plains, lowlands and other low-lying areas with good irrigation conditions and the highest yield in the country. The northeastern rice-growing areas on the Khorat Plateau have poor conditions, poor soil, fewer water resources, and relatively low yields.

Rice production in different regions of Thailand

Source: Sohu

The Chao Phraya River is an important source of irrigation water for Thailand's agriculture . It is 1,352 kilometers long and has a basin area of ​​150,000 square kilometers, covering almost one-third of Thailand's territory. It also provides huge water support for Thailand's agricultural development.

3

How to distinguish genuine and fake "fragrant rice"?

Many friends say that they like to eat Thai fragrant rice, but they are worried about buying counterfeit products. So, what are some ways to identify Thai fragrant rice?

In fact, the entry-exit inspection and quarantine industry standard SNT 2643-2010 "Thai Hom Mali Rice Variety Identification and Purity Test Method" formulated by China also gives clear regulations on the identification of Thai fragrant rice. First of all, the most accurate method is the gene detection method , that is, to randomly select a certain number of rice grains from the sample for gene detection. In addition, the Thai Ministry of Trade stipulates that only two varieties of rice with a content of no less than 92% can be added with the title of "Thai Hom Mali Rice".

Secondly, judging from the outer packaging of the product , the real original packaged Thai jasmine rice will have the following characteristics, including: the green label origin certification pattern issued by the Thai Ministry of Trade (see the picture below); the place of origin will be written as "Product of Thailand"; it will also be marked "Jasmine rice purity is not less than 92%"; the product barcode starts with "885", etc.

Green Label Certification of Origin issued by the Ministry of Trade of Thailand

Source: Baidu Encyclopedia

Third, you can make a rough identification of Thai jasmine rice based on its appearance and price .

In terms of appearance, Thai jasmine rice is a long-grain fragrant rice. When intact , the length of the rice grains is about 7 mm. It has a relatively natural fragrance that will not be weakened by washing. If it is rice with added flavors, the rice fragrance will disappear or weaken after washing several times.

In terms of price, due to the influence of production, freight, profit, etc., the price of fragrant rice is significantly higher than that of ordinary rice . If you see fragrant rice whose price is significantly lower than the normal price of fragrant rice, it is recommended to purchase with caution.

After reading this article, I hope everyone can distinguish the authenticity of fragrant rice when buying it in the future, and not be deceived by unscrupulous merchants~

The content of this article is compiled from CCTV Finance, Global Magazine, "Industry Standards for Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine of the People's Republic of China", public accounts Geo-Valley, Hefei Science Popularization, Hefei Science Association, etc.