Magic rice (Boka saul) from Assam gets GI tag

Assam's magic rice, commonly known as mud rice or boka saul or kumal saol, has received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the Government of India' Intellectual Property India (IPI) body.

The magic rice is an indigenous variety of rice grown in parts of lower Assam places like Nalbari, Barpeta, Goalpara, Darrang, Kamrup, Baksa, Dhubri, Bongaiagoan, Chirang, Kokrajhar and others.

The rice is often termed magic rice because it needs no cooking. The rice is very simple and equally budget-friendly and all one needs to consume it is soak it for an hour.

People in Assam convert the rice into a delicacy by adding banana, jiggery and milk.

In 2016, a Nalbari-based NGO, named Lotus Progressive Centre founded by Hemanta Baishya was first to apply for the concerned patent to get Boka saul GI tagged.

What is GI tag?

The Geographical Indication of Goods, under the IPI, assigns GI tags to quality-assured and distinct goods, thus giving these very goods an official name and sign that corresponds to their specific geographical location or origin. The first product to be GI tagged in India was Darjeeling tea.

(Featured Image – The Indian Express)