Kalonunia rice gets GI tag
Kalonunia, a variety of aromatic rice grown in north Bengal, has been granted a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, joining the league of Gobindobog and Tulaipanji, two other aromatic varieties. Kalonunia is known as the ‘King of Rice’ in the region.
The GI status for Kalonunia comes close on the heels of those given to the saree varieties of of Tangail, Korial and Garad, and it becomes the 26th product from Bengal to get the coveted status.
Kalonunia stands as one of the ancient indigenous aromatic rice strains cultivated in the districts of Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, Darjeeling and Kalimpong. The word ‘kalo’ means black and ‘nunia’ denotes a native rice variety in Bengali.
The paddy fields of Kalonunia have a distinctive black appearance, unlike the typical golden hue of regular paddy fields.
Being an aromatic rice , its market price is higher than that of standard rice, fetching around Rs 100-120 per kilogram.
It boasts medium-slender grains with an average length of 5.3 mm, and when cooked, it exhibits a delightful taste, pleasant texture, vibrant appearance, non-stickiness and crumbly nature.
