Boliya or Bellia, is an old Kodava grain, grown in the kharif or monsoon season, and harvested in January. It is a tall variety which grows easily to 2.5/3ft and is prone to lodging in December breezes due to its weight and height. As a result, it is difficult to harvest and the fallen seeds are likely not to set. But these problems of cultivating boliya also have a solution in the method of its use, as we shall see.
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Description
THE CULTURAL & ECOLOGICAL LIFE OF THIS RICE
Anjali Ganapathy, chef and curator of bespoke Kodava dining experiences, shares her unexpected quest for Boliya rice, which originated from her research into fermented brews native to Coorg.
During one of my visits to learn about fermented rice brews, I was in conversation with my uncle. We discussed varieties of rice and which ones might have been used. One in particular stood out, Boliya. A paddy farmer and coffee grower, now 87 yrs old, his description of a lifetime in Coorg, is nothing short of a fantasy novel.
The story goes … early mornings on bicycles, riding to school with siblings. Cold, wet and foggy. With little visibility and the fear of wild animals. They rode to school through Boliya fields.
This variety grew up to 2.5ft-3ft, harvested once a year in January and took 6 months to grow. The tall and thick stalks were used as cattle feed mostly.
Back then; Coorg was a cold and wet place, with difficult terrain and harsh weather. December brought strong winds, causing Boliya stems to collapse due to their height and weight. This made it hard for the seeds to set, and crops were prone to being ruined.
All this, made a difficult case for Boliya and eventually farmers opted to grow shorter varieties like jeerige sanna (jeera rice), doddi and athira, with a 3-4 month harvest time. Today, Boliya is spoken as a thing of the past; “it’s been nearly 4 decades since we grew it” my uncle says.
NUTRITIONAL AND MEDICINAL PROPERTIES
Nothing is known as of now about the nutraceutical properties of this rice.
CULINARY USES
The rice was used for multiple purposes in the kitchen: boiled rice, rice flour, thari (broken granular rice) and other uses including brewing. This last probably owes to the fact that the tall native grasses would collapse or lodge during Coorg’s many rains. Panicles sitting in water would normally be thought to spoil, but for that very reason they have likely been prepped for fermentation!
WHO GROWS THIS RICE & WHERE CAN I BUY?
Said to be suited to areas like Marenad, Shettigeri, Kurchi, Murnad and Birunani. Only one mill-owner in Virajpet had any stock of this rice at all. This section will be updated once we have more reliable information on sourcing.
SOURCES AND FURTHER READING
- N/A
Additional information
| Region of Origin | South |
|---|---|
| Grain Shape | medium |
| Grain Colour | White |
| Fragrance | Nonscented |
