English
বাংলা
The story
Sherpur sits at the foot of the Garo hills on the Meghalaya border, and tulshimala has been grown there since the days of the zamindars. In Sherpur it is the rice of hospitality: it is nicknamed jamai aduri chal, the rice you cook to spoil a son-in-law, and sending a bag of new tulshimala to relatives is an old festive habit. The district administration has made it one of Sherpur's branding products, and it appears in the district's tourism slogan.
Tulshimala is a traditional, photoperiod-sensitive Aman variety. It is transplanted from late July to early August, flowers from late October to mid-November and is harvested through December, from mid-Agrahayan to early Poush. It takes about four to four and a half months to mature and yields less than modern rice, but it has a strong stem that stands up to the sudden hill-water floods that hit low land in Nalitabari and Jhenaigati. All five upazilas grow it: Sherpur Sadar, Nalitabari, Nakla, Sreebardi and Jhenaigati. Farmers in the border areas, including Garo families in Nalitabari, have grown it for many decades.
The Sherpur district administration applied for GI protection in April 2018, and tulshimala was registered as Bangladesh's 14th GI in June 2023. Cooks use it for polao, biryani, khichuri, payesh, firni and pitha, and it is also popped into fragrant muri and khoi. It has since been tried in other parts of the country, including the south-west, but the GI belongs to Sherpur.
How to spot the real Sherpur tulshimala rice
Tulshimala grains are small, slim and fine, and should be fairly even with few broken pieces. Raw rice has a soft, sweet scent that blooms when cooked; polao made with it is fluffy, fragrant and slightly glossy. Because small aromatic rices look much alike, tulshimala, chinigura and kalijira are easily swapped in the market. Signs of trouble are mixed grain sizes, a dusty or chalky look from over-polishing, and a strong perfume in the bag that disappears in the pot. Ask the seller which upazila the paddy came from, whether it is from the latest Aman harvest, and when it was milled.
Timing matters too. New tulshimala reaches the market after the December harvest and is at its most fragrant, but freshly milled new rice holds more moisture and can cook a little soft; many cooks rest it a few weeks or months before using it for polao.
Buying tips
Order a small pack first if you are trying a new seller, then buy in bulk once you are happy with the aroma. Rice is heavy, so delivery charges rise with weight; check the charge before ordering a sack. On Midmart each shop sets and charges its own delivery, so tulshimala from a Sherpur shop and other groceries from a different shop will arrive separately, each with its own charge. Midmart never takes payment or delivers; you agree payment and shipping directly with the seller, and you should ask for sealed packaging and the milling date.
Keeping it fresh
Keep the rice in an airtight container in a cool, dry place away from sunlight and strong smells. Aromatic rice slowly loses its scent, so aim to use it within a few months. Check now and then for weevils, especially during the monsoon, and never store it in a damp corner.
Find Sherpur tulshimala rice on Midmart
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Shops from where it is made
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