After 40 years in Mudumalai, bamboo rice has seen a boom in production. Bamboo trees are abundant in the Mudumalai forests of the Nilgiris district.
The bamboo here is the main source of food for the wildlife including the wild elephant. Similarly, local tribes use bamboo for food and for building houses. The lifespan of such bamboo trees is only 40 years. In light of this, Bamboo trees in Mudumalai have begun to bloom after 40 years. In a few weeks, the flower bud will start to shed seeds from it. This is called bamboo rice.
At this point in time, the life span of about 50% of the bamboo trees in the forests of Mudumalai and the town of Kadalur is over. The last few weeks have seen a boom in the blooming of the bamboo blossoms. At present, bamboo seeds are being sown from the plants.
Bamboo rice is the staple food of the tribal people. Traditionally tribal people have been using bamboo rice in their diet. They are selling the rest of the rice to manage their livelihood. It is now a lucrative business for them as they get up to ₹800 per kilo. People from the neighbouring districts who know the medicinal properties of bamboo rice come directly and buy it from the tribal people. Collected from the forest and roadsides, the bamboo rice is then washed, dried in water, and pulverized to extract the rice. The rice is then cooked like ordinary rice and eaten by the indigenous tribal people.
Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.