Ajara Ghansal rice explained

Ajara Ghansal Rice (आजरा घनसाळ तांदूळ)[1]
Description:Ajara Ghansal is an aromatic rice cultivated in Maharashtra
Type:Aromatic rice
Area:Ajara taluka, Kolhapur
Country:India
Registered:31 March 2016

Ajara Ghansal is a variety of non-Basmati aromatic rice mainly grown in the Indian state of Maharashtra.[2] [3] [4] It is a common and widely cultivated crop in Ajara taluka of Kolhapur district.[5]

Name

Ajara Ghansal Rice is a prized crop in Ajara and so named after it. "Ghan" means aroma while "Sal" means elegantly thin in the local language.[6]

Local name

It is known as Ajara Ghansal Tandul (आजरा घनसाळ तांदूळ) or simply only as Ghansal Tandul.[7] Tandul means rice in the local state language of Marathi.[8]

Description

Ajara Ghansal rice is a traditional, aromatic, and indigenous rice variety from Maharashtra, known for its distinct aroma, taste, and nutritional value.[9] [10] It is characterized by short bold grains with a 3.61:5.5mm ratio and a creamy white appearance. Ajara Taluka, nestled amidst hills, leverages rainwater coming down from the hill slopes for rice cultivation.[11] The nearby Hiranyakeshi river, just 5 km away, plays a crucial role in maintaining optimal soil moisture levels, ensuring ideal conditions for rice growth.[12] The rice variety is renowned for its distinctive aroma, which is attributed to a complex blend of compounds, including alcohols, aldehydes, and esters . Ghansal rice has a firm, tender, and non-sticky texture, with no chalkiness which is seen in other varieties. It is less sticky than other rice varieties too with an elongation ratio significantly higher than Basmati rice.[13] [14] [15] [16]

Uses

Culinary Uses

  1. Ideal for traditional Maharashtrian dishes
  2. Special occasions: Marriage ceremonies and festivals

Industrial Applications

  1. Puffed rice making (Murmure)[17]
  2. Edible oil extraction from rice bran
  3. Paddy straw utilization in mushroom cultivation

Geographical indication

It was awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) status tag from the Geographical Indications Registry under the Union Government of India on 31 March 2016 (valid until 25 March 2034).[18]

Ajara Taluka Shetkari Vikas Mandal from Ajara, proposed the GI registration of Ajara Ghansal rice. After filing the application in March 2014, the rice was granted the GI tag in 2016 by the Geographical Indication Registry in Chennai, making the name "Ajara Ghansal rice" exclusive to the rice grown in the region. It thus became the first rice variety from Maharashtra before Ambemohar and the 11th type of goods from Maharashtra to earn the GI tag.

Notes and References

  1. News: कालेकर . रणजित . आजऱ्यातील 120 घनसाळ उत्पादकांना जी. आय मान्यता . 20 November 2024 . Marathi News Esakal . 22 May 2020 . Mr.
  2. Desai . Shitalkumar . Jadhav . Akesh . Ramteke . Akash . Dhole . Vinod . Bapat . Vishwas . Gaikwad . Nikhil . Genetic improvement of two Indian non-basmati aromatic rice landraces through physical and chemical mutagenesis . International Journal of Radiation Biology . 2022 . 98 . 1 . 82–89 . 10.1080/09553002.2021.1987567 . 34587468 . 20 November 2024 . 1362-3095.
  3. Book: Jiang . Meng . Wu . Xinyang . Zhao . Tianlun . Advanced Breeding for Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Crops . 6 September 2023 . Frontiers Media SA . 978-2-8325-3314-7 . 20 November 2024 . en.
  4. News: Are GI tags the boost that indigenous rice needs? . 20 November 2024 . HT Digital Streams Ltd..
  5. Web site: 218-ajara-ghansal-rice . Organization for an International Geographical Indications Network . 20 November 2024.
  6. Web site: GHANSAL RICE RESULT OF GREEN REVOLUTION: A CASE STUDY OF AJARA TALUKA DIST KOLHAPUR . Studies in Indian Place Names . 20 November 2024.
  7. News: घनसाळ आता आजरेकरांचाच . 21 November 2024 . Maharashtra Times . mr.
  8. Book: Raeside . I. M. P. . Marathi Reading Course . 19 November 2013 . Routledge . 978-1-135-75245-3 . 20 November 2024 . en.
  9. Book: Kumar . Nitish . Plant Mutagenesis: Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Landscapes . 2024 . Springer Nature . 978-3-031-50729-8 . 20 November 2024 . en.
  10. Book: Penna . Suprasanna . Jain . S. Mohan . Mutation Breeding for Sustainable Food Production and Climate Resilience . 4 April 2023 . Springer Nature . 978-981-16-9720-3 . 20 November 2024 . en.
  11. News: Ghansal rice variety set to attain GI status . 20 November 2024 . The Times of India . 9 January 2014.
  12. Web site: Freshwater fish fauna of Hiranyakeshi River, the northern Western Ghats, India . ResearchGate GmbH . 20 November 2024.
  13. Web site: GOVERNMENT OF INDIA GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS JOURNAL NO.76 NOVEMBER 27, 2015 . Intellectual Property India . 20 November 2024.
  14. News: GI tag conserves fragrance, rich taste of Maharashtra's 7 agri products . 20 November 2024 . The Times of India . 1 April 2016.
  15. Book: Bhattacharya . Niharika Sahoo . Geographical Indication Protection in India: The Evolving Paradigm . 13 September 2022 . Springer Nature . 978-981-19-4296-9 . 20 November 2024 . en.
  16. Book: Bahar . F. A. . Bhat . M. Anwar . Mahdi . Syed Sheraz . Secondary Agriculture: Sustainability and Livelihood in India . 11 November 2022 . Springer Nature . 978-3-031-09218-3 . 20 November 2024 . en.
  17. Web site: CHAPTER - IV PROFILE OF AJARA TALUKA . Shivaji University . 20 November 2024.
  18. News: Seven agriculture products get GI tag . 20 November 2024 . The Times of India . 4 June 2016.

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