Pink Rice

Pibk Rice (Pnah sawloin): It is a local variety of sticky rice that is either red or white in color. The paddy is sown in a nursery at the end of January or early February, after which it is transplanted into the paddy fields. Like other rice varieties, the monsoon season plays an important role in providing enough water to feed the paddy. Pnah sawloin grows knee high and is harvested in the months of September and October. Interestingly, after it is cooked it retains its consistency and is quite hard when eaten. It is frequently pounded with a mortar and pestle and made into rice-based snacks served together with tea. Often, however, it is eaten as a staple grain with meals. One of the few left where one can find paddies of pnah sawloin, where this variety is grown along with others. It is unknown how much pnah sawloin rice is harvested annually, but the quantity has decreased over the years. While the rice itself is not commonly sold on the market, some rice-based snacks made using this variety are. Today, pnah sawloin is mainly grown for personal or family consumption.