ICH Courier

ssam is a state in the northeastern part of India at the foothills of the eastern Himalayas, running along the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers. It is a place known for its rich biodiversity, tea plantations, wildlife and a diverse cuisine that often differs from the typical Indian food.
In Assam, rice occupies a significant place in the food menu of everyday life. As a rice-growing state, rice is part of people’s breakfast, lunch, dinner and an important part of the festivals as well. One of such indigenous rice varieties found in Assam is the glutinous and sticky rice called Bora Saul. Known as the versatile rice, this modest grain is an integral part of Assamese cuisine and culture. Grown during the monsoon, bora rice is found in several varieties. The most popular ones are Joha Bora (aromatic as well as sticky), Kola Bora (black bora) and bora. Bora Saul is renowned as both a festive ingredient and a daily staple due to its rich nutritional content, including starch, proteins, vitamins, and minerals.

Culinary Versatility
Bora saul is consumed in different ways. It is consumed as snacks, or main course, and also used to make rice brew. In this section, let’s have a look at various foods which are made with bora saul. All the varieties of bora saul are traditionally used to make various snacks which are called bora pitha. To make bora pitha, the rice is soaked for 4-5 hours, drained, and then ground into fine powder. It is then rolled on a hot pan and stuffed with different ingredients.
There are more than 50 varieties of pitha (rice cakes) that get its name from the stuffing or the way of preparation. For example, bora pitha made with coconut, sugar mix is called narikolor bora pitha (coconut pitha), while bora pitha made with grounded sesame seeds, jaggery is called tilor pitha (sesame pitha). It is evident from the ingredients that this type of pitha is considered as a sweet snack. However, bora saul flour is also used to make savory ones, which is made by preparing a dough of rice flour, water and a pinch of salt. Small balls from the dough are flattened using the tips of the fingers and then fried in mustard oil. These are called ghila pitha (fried rice cakes) as

the shape of this snack resembles ghila, a traditional game from the Ahom dynasty.
A popular rice preparation from bora saul is sunga pitha. Sunga means bamboo tubes in Assamese. So, as the name suggests, this pitha is made by stuffing green bamboo tubes with a mixture made from soaked bora saul, jaggery, coconut and a pinch of salt. Once the tubes are prepared, they are slowly roasted over fire. This preparation lends a mild bamboo flavour to the mixture. When the tubes become brown, it is cut and removed. The rice is also enjoyed hot with accompaniments such as doi (curd), hot milk, cream, yogurt, with fruits like banana, and gur (jaggery). The rice is also consumed with vegetables, fish or meat such as pork, duck as a main course.
Another common snack made with bora saul is called mah korai. It is a dry snack that has dry roasted bora saul, peanuts, moong beans, black gram beans, dried ginger, diced coconut and chickpeas. It is especially prepared during Magh Bihu (festival), which is the harvest festival of Assam. It is said that the mah korai regulates the temperature in the body during the cold months.
However, no food made with bora saul can beat the versatility of jolpan or komal saul. It is a special preparation of bora saul, where the rice is parboiled and stored. The parboiling process makes the rice softer, which can be consumed as instant rice just by adding hot water for 30 minutes. This instant rice is known as komal saul and is popular amongst fitness enthusiasts. The grains can be consumed either with yogurt and jaggery or mixed with any salad. Anything can be added to the komal saul making it extremely versatile. For example, it can also be cooked in milk with lots of dry fruits or can be eaten with cold milk and a choice of fruit. During the festivals and religious rituals, komal saul is eaten with yogurt and jaggery as it does not need cooking. Assamese people generally restrain themselves from cooked food during any rituals, so the komal saul jolpan comes handy during this time.
Numerous kinds of local rice-based brews are made by the communities using traditional rice such as ‘Xaj pani’, used by Ahom communities, and ‘Judima’ of the Dimasa tribe.
There was a time when there were more than 1,000 varieties of rice grown in the state. However, due to the lack of preservation, and onslaught of HYV seeds, 80% of the rice varieties are lost to time.

Architectural and Historical Significance
Bora saul’s influence extends beyond the culinary realm, playing a crucial role in Assamese architecture. Historically, this sticky rice was a key ingredient in the mortar used to construct renowned Assamese monuments and bridges, including the iconic Ranghar pavilion in Sivasagar. This

ancient construction technique involved blending bora saul with duck eggs and black gram lentils, imbuing these structures with remarkable strength and durability. Even centuries later, grains of bora saul are still discernible within the walls of these resilient buildings, serving as a testament to the innovative spirit and lasting legacy of the Ahom dynasty.
Assamese cuisine and culture thus owe much to bora saul—this modest grain that bridges the past and the present, binding the people of Assam in collective memory and identity.