Why we wait two years before milling
Fresh paddy is fragrant but soft. Ageing dries the grain from within, so it elongates more and clumps less. Here is what happens month by month.
Freshly harvested basmati carries most of its aroma but very little of its structure. The grain is high in moisture, so when it hits hot water it splits, releases starch and turns sticky.
Left in a dry, ventilated warehouse, the grain loses moisture slowly and its starch molecules firm up. After twelve months the difference is obvious on the plate. After twenty-four, the grain nearly doubles in length when cooked and each one stays separate.
This is why our Classic range sits in the warehouse for two harvests before it ever meets the mill. It costs us storage, but it is the whole point of basmati.