Basmati is a variety of long grain rice which is traditionally from North India and Pakistan. Basmati was introduced to the Middle East by Indian traders. Through cultural exchange, it remains not only an important part of various Indian/Pakistani cuisines, but now is also used extensively in Persian, Arabic, and other Middle Eastern cuisines, as well.
India and Pakistan are the exclusive growers and exporters of this type of rice.
The areas of basmati rice production in India are in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.