Recipe for unique mushk budiji aroma includes altitude and temperature: study Premium

Scientists at SKUAST, Srinagar, study altitude's impact on aroma development in indigenous rice, mushk budiji, for economic growth and export potential.

The Kashmir Himalaya is known for the cultivation of mushk budiji, an indigenous rice variety distinguished for its rich aroma and unique taste. Recently, scientists at the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), Srinagar, reported that altitude and temperature play an important role in the development of this aroma.

In a study recently published in Nature Scientific Reports, they have reported identifying around 35 aromatic compounds in the variety at eight altitudes between 5,000 and 7,000 feet across the valley.

Mushk budiji was on the verge of extinction for some time due to various factors. Chief among them was the prevalence of rice blast disease, its low yield, and lack of profitability. But a revival programme launched in 2007 by SKUAST scientists saw the crop make a slow comeback.

Gaurav Zinta, senior scientist at the CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology in Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, said the study “serves as a foundational work to understand the intricate relationship between altitude and aroma development in an indigenous rice variety.” He wasn’t involved in the study.

“Surprisingly, there hasn’t been any comprehensive study conducted to determine the most suitable locations for the cultivation of mushk budiji,” Syed Zameer Hussain, professor and head of the Division of Food Science and Technology, SKUAST and corresponding author of the study, said. “Motivated by this gap in knowledge, we decided to conduct a study of selected locations on the flavour profile of mushk budiji using gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) and an ‘electronic nose’.”

These locations spanned Kupwara near the region’s northern edge to Khudwani in Anantnag in the south.

GC-MS is an analytical method used to reveal the presence of volatile compounds present in organic mixtures extracted from geological, environmental, and biological samples. The e-nose is a tool fit with various sensors as well as an artificial intelligence (AI) component; it assessed the flavour attributes of rice samples.