MUSHK
BUDIJI - AGRICULTURE
News:
Study unravels the recipe
that gives mushk budiji rice its unique aroma
What's
in the news?
●
Recently, scientists at the Sher-e-Kashmir
University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), Srinagar, reported
that altitude and temperature play an important role in the development of
mushk budiji aroma.
Mushk
Budiji Rice:
●
It is an indigenous aromatic rice variety that is usually grown at an
altitude ranging from 5000 to 7000 ft above mean sea level in the Highland Himalayas.
●
It has received a Geographical Indication
(GI) tag from Jammu and Kashmir.
Unique
Characteristics:
●
It is short, bold aromatic rice grown in
the higher reaches of Kashmir valley.
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The cooked rice is unique and possesses a harmonious blend of taste, aroma and rich
organoleptic properties.
Cultivated
Areas:
●
It is mainly grown in areas of Sagam,
Panzgam and Soaf Shali of district Anantnag and Beerwah belt of district Budgam
in Jammu and Kashmir.
●
The consumption of aromatic rice in
Kashmir has now been limited to special occasions, marriages, and festivals.
Highlights
of the Study:
●
Scientists conduct a study of selected
locations on the flavour profile of mushk budiji using gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) and an electronic nose.”
●
Based on these studies, the scientists
identified 35 volatile organic compounds
(VOCs) in mushk budiji rice samples. Of these, the concentration of aldehydes (molecules containing the
functional group -CH=O) ranged from 6.33% to 29.09% and alcohols (-OH) from
0.47% to 30.34%.
●
Acetyl-1-pyrroline
(2-AP) is a known aromatic compound found in some varieties
– but it was present only in mushk budiji samples collected from higher
altitudes, particularly in the districts of Budgam and Kupwara.
Go
back to basics:
Chromatography-Mass
Spectroscopy:
●
It is an analytical method used to reveal the presence of volatile compounds
present in organic mixtures extracted from geological, environmental, and
biological samples.