The chemical compounds that give this rice its beautiful aroma are quick to break down, so that jasmine rice loses some of its flavour as it ages. Use it quickly and buy fresh rice often.

Many varieties of rice fall within these two categories and, among the long grain varieties, basmati and jasmine rice are some of the most common ones in South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine.

Can you tell which is basmati rice and which is jasmine? For most people, that answer is probably a no. Among the many types of rice, the two seem similar. Both varieties are long-grain and are ...