Instructions: To the best of my knowledge,The finest grade available here of Basmati rice is Dehradun coming from Uttar Predash, India. There are a number of grades of basmati rice being sold, some very clean, some not. #817 is generally considered to the be the best from India, according to several shopkeepers on Devon Avenue(center of Chicagos Hindi shopping community). You can find several numbers close to it or inversions of it, but remember 817. It is very clean, with few to no imperfect or discolored grains or other junk in it. Rice labelled basmati is also being imported from other countries, notably Pakistan. It is also being grown in America, marketed as Texmati, american basmati, and even brown basmati. They all benefit from being soaked. At times I do cook basmati rice without soaking it, but the texture and length of the cooked grain is different and not as wonderful. There is also a rice called Jasmine rice that is sometimes sold and served under the auspices of Basmati, but it is different (and also less expensive.)You may find it listed as fragrant rice in asian stores, such as Chinese, Korean.

In Chicago, I pay about $40 per bag of 40 lbs, which is about the same price when I buy the 11 lb bags or maybe a little less. When I have bought it in lesser quantities, I do pay more. JoAnn

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