What's the best brand of Basmati rice?

[GeoffD]

In my experience, you need an Indian grocer with a big enough affluent customer base to stock the premium brands. The Daawat premium stuff is good. They make 4 different premium types of biryani rice with different characteristics.

[sinatras]

Originally Posted by DontH8Me

Zafarani "Z" Reserve, hands down. You just have to be sure it's not a knock-off bag (yes, it is so good that they have impostors).

Can you post pics of the real bag and the impostor bag? I must have tried the impostor rice, b/c I thought it was not better than Tilda. And Tilda has gone downhill.

[nirvana07]

India Gate is a very well know Indian brand. It has 4-5 varieties of basmati rice. The higher the grade, the more expensive and better it should be.

If you want something cheaper, Zebra basmati rice is good for daily use. The brand is from Pakistan.

Costco also stocks 20lbs packs of some basmati rice- i forgot which one.

[newbee2]

Tilda Basmati.... you can get it at any Indian grocery store

[shanv3]

Beware , some of them now comes with Plastic rice, courtesy Chinese technology.

Find some Pakistani grocery and their basmati rice brands are better than Indian.

[munna21977]

Originally Posted by shanv3

Beware , some of them now comes with Plastic rice, courtesy Chinese technology.

Find some Pakistani grocery and their basmati rice brands are better than Indian.

That Plastic Rice was a Social Media hoax debunked many times.



Daawat, IndiaGate, Kohinoor, Shaan, Any packet with Pakistani Kernel Rice written on it, from any Indian Grocery store.

By the way, what is wrong with Tilda ?



Walmart has Great Value Basmati Rice. Also of Mahatma Basmati brand.

[DontH8Me]

Originally Posted by sinatras

Can you post pics of the real bag and the impostor bag? I must have tried the impostor rice, b/c I thought it was not better than Tilda. And Tilda has gone downhill.

This is the bag I buy at my Paki/Indian market:

https://www.amazon.com/Zafarani-Rese.../dp/B019VHV5OM

It is a very durable plastic, with cord handle. The knock off is in a canvas bag with a zipper and/or canvas handles. Often listed as Zafrani, not Zafarani.

I wouldn't order from Amazon. A good Indian market cycles their inventory very frequently. The one I go to, all the local Indian restaurants shop there wholesale. I just bought a 10 pound sack for $14.99.

I think I have photos of the prepared product in my photo album. I use the tin of saffron I bought at the market whenever I prepare this rice.