Bamboo Rice (Mulayari) – Hidden Tribal Secret Revealed

Written By: text_none_author Published In: ROOT Created Date: 2016-06-28 Hits: 3308 Comment: 0

Bamboo rice is special. It is the last souvenir of a dying bamboo shoot. When a bamboo plant is about to breathe its last, it flowers into a rare variety of rice. This rice not only has a rich flavor but is loaded with noteworthy nutrients, that makes this rice even more remarkable. The bamboo rice flowers once in its lifetime, so indeed this rice is worth to be treasured. Nature keeps all his treasures hidden deep inside her. From the heart of nature, a rare and lesser known rice is produced: bamboo rice. It is well secured in a midst of tallest herb grass covered with thorns all around.

The rice was collected by the tribal people residing in the forest. In the interiors of Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala, there is a rich abode of bamboo groves, where you can witness small tribal groups mainly women and children collecting the rice. This rice is like a tribal man’s timber. This rice is now becoming a major source of income of tribesman.

With a resemblance to paddy rice and wheat like taste, this rice is comparatively much richer in protein. Not only tribes but also local people consider it as a great substitute to normal paddy rice. It is a sweet and nutritious rice. It is cooked in a similar way as a regular and obtains a moist, sticky texture after cooking.

There are several perks of this rice over normal paddy rice.It is very high in Vitamin B and proteins. It has low Glycemic Index compared to other varieties of rice, hence is considered healthier and fit for diabetic consumption. This rice also has low fat compared to other rice varieties. Tribal and local people regard this rice as a grain to soothe the joint pain owing to its immense calcium and phosphorous content. Researchers have even attributed this rice for its capability of enhancing vitality, detoxifying the body, enhancing fertility , reducing signs of aging and helping in weight loss.Regular consumption of this rice can also help in lowering the blood sugar levels and preventing frequent sugar crashes.

The bamboo rice is remarkable in terms of both taste and health benefits. It can be cooked in a similar way to regular rice and can substitute white rice in your everyday meal. This rice is also best to be served to your guest owing to its attractive color and subtle flavor. The flavor of the payasam is simply amplified by folds when this rice is used. A wide range of delicacies such as Unni appam, puttu etc can be prepared from this rice. It is perfect for all gourmet applications. Bamboo rice can also be served along with your salads, as an Asian-style risotto.

The health benefits, flavor, nutritional content, color, texture of the bamboo rice is extremely remarkable. No wonder , the foodies are shifting to the Bamboo rice, especially the foodies from the health conscious communities.