Black rice being displayed at NEDFi Haat on Tuesday. Picture by Eastern Projections

Feb. 1: Don?t go by its colour ? its aroma is certain to bowl you over!

Rice aficionados, bored with the local joha rice, ought to try chak-hao poireiton rice. This black aromatic rice of Manipuri origin is available right now at the Manipur Fair, which began in NEDFi Haat today.

An NGO from Manipur ? the Rural Reconstruction Organisation ? has brought this black-purple rice here for the first time. It is being exhibited and sold to traditional rice consumers in Assam. ?We are anxious to find new markets for this rice. We?re sure we?ll be able to sell lots of it,? said NGO joint secretary H. Premit Singh. The taste of this variety of rice makes it ideal for preparing kheer.

Singh said this black scented rice is used as one of the special food items in rituals and other community feasts. ?We are supplying it to star hotels here to popularise it,? he said, comparing its quality to that of basmati rice, which has taken the world market by storm. The fair will continue till February7.

?As the city is the gateway to the Northeast and has a huge vibrant market, we are looking for people to savour its taste and buy it,? he added. The city has a huge Manipuri population.

The variety has rich food value, with 86 per cent carbohydrate content. It is being sold at the fair at Rs 50 per kg while it fetches Rs 100 in New Delhi and other metros. Its average production is three tonnes per hectare and is mainly cultivated in Imphal West.

He said a project for aiding such rice cultivators is currently being implemented with help from the United Nations Development Project (UNDP). He added the rice brought here was absolutely pure and not mixed with other varieties, as is the current practice in Manipur.

Other delicious items of Manipuri food on offer include chak-hao (black aromatic rice) kheer at Rs 10. It is likely to be a big hit, like thambout sinju (salad with lotus roots) and koukha pakora (a type of bitter nut).

A total of 16 participants from Manipur have come to the fair. Its main goal is to provide a wider market and exposure to units from the state.

Dolls and bamboo and cane items are also on display. The product range includes varieties of handloom and handicrafts, traditional dress materials and kauna crafts.