Paw san hmwe ( my, ပေါ်ဆန်းမွှေး, ; also spelt paw san hmwe and known as Pearl Paw San or Myanmar pearl rice) is a high-grade variety of
aromatic rice
Aromatic rice is one of the Oryza sativa#Classification, major types of rice. It is a medium- to long-grained rice. It is known for its nut (fruit), nutty aroma and taste, which is caused by the chemical compound 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline. Varieties of ...
(fragrant rice) grown in
Myanmar
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
. Paw hsan hmwe is known for its good cooking quality, fragrant aroma, texture, good milling recovery, and substantial grain elongation during the cooking process.
The medium-length grains of this rice variety can elongate up to three times in length while cooking. Paw hsan hmwe has intermediate
amylose
Amylose is a polysaccharide made of α-D-glucose units, bonded to each other through α(1→4) glycosidic bonds. It is one of the two components of starch, making up approximately 20–30%. Because of its tightly packed helical structure, amylose ...
content, higher than
jasmine rice
Jasmine rice ( th, ข้าวหอมมะลิ; ; ) is a long-grain variety of fragrant rice (also known as aromatic rice). Its fragrance, reminiscent of ''pandan'' (''Pandanus amaryllifolius'') and popcorn, results from the rice plant's na ...
, contributing to its hardness quality in line with Burmese consumer preferences. Myanmar's Paw San rice is one of the world's most recognized high quality rice, it was awarded the world's best rice at the Rice Trader's World Rice Conference in 2011. Paw San rice has a similar aroma, grain quality and eating quality to the reputable aromatic rice varieties of the world, namely Basmati of India and Pakistan and Jasmine of Thailand. It has a strong aroma similar to Jasmine rice and
the fluffiness and elongation-up to 3 times after cooking of Basmati rice. Despite these qualities, Paw San rice has not made it to the export market due to its low yield. As well, a high domestic demand leaves little to export. The low yield has been an important barrier to its wider adoption; only about 6% of the area under rice cultivation was planted to Paw San in 2013. In order to meet export target and increase export value, Myanmar would need to promote the wider adoption of Paw San rice. To support the campaign for adoption, the county also would need to develop the infrastructure and the technology to increase productivity.
Varieties
Paw hsan hmwe is a variety of ''
Oryza sativa
''Oryza sativa'', commonly known as Asian rice or indica rice, is the plant species most commonly referred to in English as ''rice''. It is the type of farmed rice whose cultivars are most common globally, and was first domesticated in the Yan ...
''. Paw hsan hmwe is the market name for two varieties of paw hsan rice, namely paw hsan gyi (), also known as
Shwebo
Shwebo ( my, ရွှေဘိုမြို့ ) is a city in Sagaing Region, Burma, 110 km north-west of Mandalay between the Irrawaddy and the Mu rivers. The city was the origin of the Konbaung Dynasty, established by King Alaungpaya ...
paw hsan, and paw hsan yin (). The former variety is photoperiod sensitive and retains its aroma for up to 2 years with proper harvesting and storage, while the latter is non-photoperiod sensitive and possesses a strong aroma that fades after 5–6 months. Paw hsan gyi was developed in 1944 using pure line selection of the paw hsan rice varieties.
Production and cultivation
Paw hsan hmwe is largely cultivated in the
Irrawaddy delta
The Irrawaddy Delta or Ayeyarwady Delta lies in the Irrawaddy Division, the lowest expanse of land in Myanmar that fans out from the limit of tidal influence at Myan Aung to the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea, to the south at the mouth of the A ...
region of Myanmar.
Since the mid-2000s, cultivation has expanded to
Upper Myanmar
Upper Myanmar ( my, အထက်မြန်မာပြည်, also called Upper Burma) is a geographic region of Myanmar, traditionally encompassing Mandalay and its periphery (modern Mandalay, Sagaing, Magway Regions), or more broadly speak ...
.
See also
*
List of rice varieties
This is a list of rice cultivars, also known as rice varieties. There are several species of grain called rice. Asian rice (''Oryza sativa)'' is most widely known and most widely grown, with two major subspecies (''indica'' and ''japonica'') and ov ...
*
Basmati
Basmati, , is a variety of long, slender-grained aromatic rice which is traditionally grown in India, Pakistan, and Nepal.
*
Jasmine rice
Jasmine rice ( th, ข้าวหอมมะลิ; ; ) is a long-grain variety of fragrant rice (also known as aromatic rice). Its fragrance, reminiscent of ''pandan'' (''Pandanus amaryllifolius'') and popcorn, results from the rice plant's na ...
References
{{Burmese cuisine
Burmese cuisine
Rice varieties
Rice production