What Does 1121 Rice Mean?

On a rice price list, "1121" appears so often that it can look like a grade or a quality code. It is neither. It is the name of a single rice variety, and knowing its story helps you buy it well.

Where the name comes from

Pusa refers to the Indian Agricultural Research Institute. The institute began in 1905 at Pusa in Bihar and moved to New Delhi in the 1930s, where its campus is still called Pusa. Many of its varieties carry the name.

Basmati is the class of aromatic, extra-long rice the variety belongs to.

1121 is the number of the breeding line. IARI's breeders made the original cross in 1991 and selected the line over the following seasons. When it performed well in trials, it kept its number as its name.

A short history

The variety was released for cultivation in Delhi in 2003 as Pusa 1121, then approved for Punjab and Haryana in 2008, when it was notified as a basmati variety. Farmers adopted it quickly because it yielded well and fetched a premium. Research published in 2018 estimated that it covered around 70% of India's basmati area and had earned more than US$20 billion in export revenue since 2008.

What makes the grain special

The defining trait of 1121 is how much it grows when cooked. Research on the variety reports a milled kernel length of about 9 mm and a cooked length of up to about 21 to 22 mm, an elongation ratio of around 2.5. The grain grows mainly lengthwise, staying slim, straight and separate. That is why a plate of 1121 biryani looks so different from ordinary long-grain rice.

Commercial lots contain a natural spread of grain sizes, so export contracts for sorted 1121 are usually written at an average grain length of around 8.3 to 8.4 mm. Its aroma is milder than traditional basmati varieties.

In the field, 1121 is a long-duration variety, maturing in about 140 to 145 days. It is susceptible to bacterial blight, which led IARI to breed Pusa Basmati 1718, a version of 1121 carrying resistance genes, released in 2017.

How 1121 is sold

The same 1121 paddy can be processed four ways:

• 1121 raw: milled without heat treatment. Most aroma, softest texture.
• 1121 steam: paddy lightly steamed before milling. White, firm, long, the most widely traded form.
• 1121 white or creamy sella: parboiled. Pale cream, firm, very resistant to breaking.
• 1121 golden sella: parboiled more intensely. Golden, the firmest, preferred for kabsa, mandi and catering.

Our guide to steam vs sella basmati compares the four.

Where 1121 is bought

1121 is traded across every major basmati market. Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates are among the largest buyers of Indian basmati, and much of what they buy is 1121 in steam or sella form. Golden sella dominates catering in the Gulf, while steam 1121 is the usual choice for retail packs in Europe, the UK and North America. Each market has its own expectations for colour, grain length and packing, so tell your supplier where the rice is going.

Its relatives

1121 is one of a family of Pusa basmati varieties. The ones you are most likely to see are:

• 1509: a shorter-duration variety released in 2013, usually priced below 1121. See 1121 vs 1509.
• 1401 (Pusa Basmati 6): known for strong aroma, uniform cooked grains and low chalkiness.
• 1718: the bacterial-blight-resistant version of 1121.
• Pusa Basmati 1: the older variety that started the programme's high-yielding basmati line.

Buying 1121 well

• Specify purity. Because 1121 commands a premium, cheaper varieties are sometimes blended in. Set a minimum purity, or a maximum admixture of other varieties.
• Specify the form and crop year. Aged 1121 elongates better than fresh.
• Check the numbers. Average grain length, broken percentage, moisture and damaged or chalky grains. See basmati rice specifications explained.
• Cook a sample. Measure the cooked length yourself. Good 1121 makes its case on the plate.

We mill 1121 Basmati in steam, white sella and golden sella. Request a sample and cook it against the rice you buy today.