Purity

Tilda only buys the finest Pure Basmati and never compromises on quality.

Tilda works diligently to preserve the purity and integrity of Basmati so that consumers can continue to enjoy this rare breed. Nearly a decade ago, the UK's Food Standards Agency (FSA) found that some samples of rice labelled Basmati sold in major retailers were not authentic and had been adulterated.

Tilda has always had very strict practices to preserve the authenticity of its rice. The company goes over and above what is legally required, to ensure that it only supplies Pure Basmati.

Tilda's highly skilled buyers can tell different varieties apart by grain. In-depth checks are carried out by Ricesearch, Tilda's scientific facility in India. This is the only molecular food authentication service dedicated to Basmati rice, which uses DNA analysis to assess the genetic purity or otherwise of paddy samples. All Tilda Traditional Basmati rice from across the growing region is tested, guaranteeing the authenticity of the rice beyond dispute. Tilda is the only rice brand to go to such lengths to ensure purity.

Basmati is one of only a handful of rices in the world that is internationally traded and sold as a specific variety. Its history can be traced back over two centuries. In the 1920's plant breeders and research establishments began pinpointing and cataloguing what they termed 'Pure line' varieties of Basmati rice by collecting specific traditional landrace (the species that has naturally evolved over centuries) grains and classifying them according to their distinctive properties.

For the last 30 years, plant breeders have been trying to develop high yielding and early maturing Basmati hybrid varieties by incorporating genes from short stature, early maturing, higher yield non-Basmati varieties into the essential Pure Basmati plant make up. However, although cross breeders have been successful in achieving improved yields, no crosses have been developed with all of the Pure line Basmati characteristics.

Tilda is actively protecting the heritage of 'Pure line' selections by only buying Pure Basmati. It supports the Basmati farming community growing Pure Basmati through a variety of farm level initiatives, from sharing knowledge gained on its experimental farm: FOSTER (Field Of Systematic Trial and Experiments on Rice), to providing access to certified Pure Basmati seed. In order to minimise the risks associated with growing the notoriously fragile and labour intensive Basmati plant, Tilda visits farms to provide practical assistance on the ground.

Tilda knows over 10,000 farmers by name and knows the farms where Tilda Basmati is grown. They hand-tend their crop in the Himalayan foothills using methods unchanged for generations.