Ambemohar is a fragrantrice variant grown in the foothills of theWestern Ghats region of the state ofMaharashtra inIndia.
The word Ambemohar means mango blossom in theMarathi language, which is spoken in the state of Maharashtra where the cultivar originates. The rice has a strong aroma reminiscent of mango blossoms,[1] and has been cultivated in the region for a long time. A century ago about 54,000 tons of the variety was produced in the Mulshi region of thePune district.[2]
The variety is grown in the foothills of theWestern Ghats region of the state ofMaharashtra inIndia.[3] It is a low yielding rice (1.9 ton/ha). The grains are short (5.5 mm) and wide (2.2 mm) compared to the well known basmati rice. Both varieties have similar degree of fragrance.[4] The variety is therefore included in the class ofAromatic rice such asBasmati.[5] The short cooked grains have a tendency to break easily and stick together.[citation needed]
Ambemohar is low-yielding compared to other varieties of rice, primarily because it is susceptible to diseases. The hybrid called Indrayani with ambemohar parentage was released in 1987.[6] It was developed by Rice Research Centre near Lonavala.[7] Indrayani has also been modified to form new varieties of rice such as Phule Maval and Phule Samrudhi.[8]
Ambemohar rice is used to prepare a thick soup of rice and milk called ‘BhatachiPej’ locally, mainly for children, elderly people and patients. (Rice Kanji).The rice is also used in religious and wedding ceremonies. InMulshi region ofPune district, it is used for making ‘Vapholya’ - A traditional food item prepared duringMakar Sankranti festival. The rice has been used for making softIdli and crispydosa. It is also used for making puffed rice called Kurmure in the Marathi language. The bran from the rice is used for oil extraction or for Mushroom cultivation.[9]
Mulshi Taluka sub-division ofPune district in the eastern foothills of the Sahyadri range has been granted theGeographical Indication for Ambemohar.[10]
It is now rare to find farmers who grow Ambemohar regularly. Since the production cost is high, the retail cost in turn has to be high. So, retailers in Maharashtra, pass off lookalikes as original Ambemohar to gain higher profit margins. This has further discouraged the production of Ambemohar, since the farmers can earn more profit themselves by growing lookalikes. Jeera Sambhar rice from Andhra Pradesh and Jawaful from Madhya Pradesh are the most popular lookalikes sold by retailers.[11]
