Cambodian rice beats Hom Mali for top spot

A fragrant rice variety from Cambodia beat Thailand’s Hom Mali rice to win the title of World’s Best Rice 2022 at a global conference on rice held last week in Phuket, the Rice Exporters Association said yesterday.

The winning variety, called phaka lamduan, beat over 20 varieties of fragrant rice in blind tasting during the competition this year because of its stronger fragrance, said Chukiat Opaswong, the association’s honorary president.

The Cambodian rice beat Thailand’s Hom Mali rice by one point for the title. The Thai variety, which hails from the Northeast, came second, followed by a variety from Vietnam and Laos, he said.

The deciding point was awarded to the phaka lamduan by a judge from the United States, who said the Cambodian variety had a sweeter scent than the Hom Mali, explained the association’s chief.

Mr Chukiat said the higher-thanaverage rainfall across Thailand this year may have contributed to the less pronounced aroma of this year’s Hom Mali rice crop.

This year’s Thai Hom Mali rice is expected to fetch US$750 (about 27,170 baht) per tonne, while phaka lamduan prices are expected to increase from its current average of US$720 per tonne due to its new title as World’s Best Rice 2022, Mr Chukiat explained.

Thailand’s rice exports will increase to eight million tonnes next year, up from 7.5 million tonnes this year.

The increase will bring the market price for Thai rice down to US$410450 per tonne, compared to Vietnam’s US$400 per tonne.

Since the contest began in 2009, Thai varieties have won seven times, including last year and the year before that, he said.