Fresh paddy cooks badly. It carries too much moisture, the kernel is soft, and the grain does not elongate the way a basmati buyer expects. Ageing fixes all three, and there is no shortcut for it.
What changes
Over twelve to twenty-four months in ventilated storage, moisture drops and the starch structure firms up. The result is a grain that elongates further, absorbs less water, breaks less during milling and cooks separate rather than sticky.
Why it costs money
Aged paddy is capital sitting in a shed for two years. That is the real reason some mills sell cheaper — they are milling this season’s crop. It is a legitimate product, but it is not the same product.
Every lot we clear for packing carries its crop year on the report.
