Extra long grain basmati rice wholesale is our business: 1121 and 1509 basmati in raw, steam, golden sella and white sella styles, new crop or aged, sold by the container to importers, distributors, supermarket brands, restaurant suppliers and repackers around the world. We pack in anything from 1 kg retail bags to 50 kg sacks, plain or under your own label.
If you buy extra long grain basmati rice wholesale, or you’re thinking about starting, this post is for you. I’ll explain what “extra long” actually means, how 1121 differs from 1509 and the others, how to judge a sample properly, what packing and documents to expect, the traps that catch new buyers, and what we offer, with specifications. No fluff. Just what I’d want to know if I were on your side of the table.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Extra Long Grain Basmati Rice Wholesale: What We Sell
Here’s the short version of our extra long grain basmati rice wholesale range. Every lot is fully sortexed, checked against the contract specification before packing, and backed by a certificate of analysis.
| Specification | 1121 basmati | 1509 basmati |
|---|---|---|
| Grain type | Extra long, slender, aromatic | Extra long, slender, aromatic |
| Styles | Raw, steam, golden sella, white sella | Raw, steam, golden sella, white sella |
| Average raw grain length | Among the longest of any rice, confirmed per contract | Slightly shorter than 1121, confirmed per contract |
| Cooked elongation | Up to around double the raw length | Strong, slightly less than 1121 |
| Purity | 95% minimum | 95% minimum |
| Moisture | 13% maximum | 13% maximum |
| Broken grains | 1% to 5% depending on grade | 1% to 5% depending on grade |
| Damaged and discoloured | 1% maximum | 1% maximum |
| Foreign matter | 0.5% maximum | 0.5% maximum |
| Crop | New crop or aged on request | New crop or aged on request |
| Origin | Confirmed on each quotation | Confirmed on each quotation |
| Shelf life | 18 to 24 months stored properly | 18 to 24 months stored properly |
| Packing | 1 to 50 kg, or 2 to 40 lb | Same |
| Brand | Our brand or your private label | Same |
We also supply Pusa, Super Kernel, traditional and brown basmati. Details are on our basmati rice for sale page.
What Makes Basmati “Extra Long”?
All basmati is long grain, but the varieties sold as extra long grain basmati rice wholesale are in a class of their own. The 1121 variety, developed in India, changed the market when it arrived because its grains are noticeably longer than traditional basmati, raw and especially once cooked. 1509 followed as a faster maturing variety with similar length at a lower price.
Two numbers matter when you buy extra long grain basmati rice wholesale:
- Average raw grain length. Measured on whole grains. 1121 is among the longest commercial rice grains in the world.
- Elongation on cooking. How much the grain grows lengthwise, not sideways. Good aged 1121 can come close to doubling.
Length on its own isn’t enough. A grain that’s long raw but curls, splits or swells when cooked won’t satisfy anyone. The real test is the pot. For general background on the rice, the basmati article on Wikipedia is a good starting point.
1121 vs 1509: Which Should You Buy?
This is the most common question we get about extra long grain basmati rice wholesale, so here’s how they compare in practice.
| 1121 | 1509 | |
|---|---|---|
| Grain length | The longest | Very long, slightly shorter |
| Elongation | Excellent | Very good |
| Aroma | Good, better when aged | Good |
| Price | Higher | Lower |
| Best for | Premium retail, biryani, catering, Gulf markets | Value retail, second brands, cost focused food service |
Plenty of our buyers carry both. 1121 is the flagship, 1509 the everyday option, and the price gap between them lets you serve two kinds of customer from one container.
Raw, Steam or Sella?
In extra long grain basmati rice wholesale, the processing style matters as much as the variety.
Raw (white)
Milled and polished without heat treatment. The strongest aroma, the softest bite. Home cooks who know basmati well often prefer it.
Steam
Lightly steamed in the husk before milling. Firmer, cooks up separate more easily and handles overcooking better than raw. A favourite for retail in many markets.
Golden sella
Parboiled in the husk, giving a golden colour and very firm grains that hardly ever break or stick. The standard for big catering kitchens and much of the Middle East.
White sella
Also parboiled, but processed to keep a whiter colour. Popular where buyers want sella performance with a lighter look. Our post on golden sella vs white sella parboiled rice goes deeper, and if parboiled rice is new to you, this overview of parboiled rice explains the process.
Who Buys Extra Long Grain Basmati Rice Wholesale
- Middle East and Gulf importers. Huge volumes of 1121 sella for kabsa, mandi and machboos.
- UK and European distributors. Steam and raw 1121 for South Asian grocery and supermarkets.
- North American importers. 1121 in 10 lb and 20 lb bags for South Asian shoppers, and sella for restaurants. See our guides for basmati rice importers in the United States and aged basmati rice for the Canadian market.
- African importers. Growing demand in East and West Africa, often sella.
- Repackers. Buying 25 kg and 50 kg sacks to pack into local brands.
- Food service and airline caterers. Sella for big batch cooking.
How to Judge a Sample
Don’t buy extra long grain basmati rice wholesale on a spec sheet alone. Here’s what I’d do with every sample.
- Measure raw length. Pick 20 whole grains at random and measure them. Work out the average.
- Count brokens. Weigh 100 grams and separate the broken pieces. Compare with the contract.
- Look for admixture. Shorter or thicker grains mixed in usually mean non basmati long grain has been blended in.
- Cook it properly. Rinse, soak, cook the way your customers will.
- Measure cooked length. Another 20 grains. Work out the elongation ratio.
- Check texture. Grains should be separate, not curled, split or mushy.
- Smell it. Aroma should be clear as the lid comes off.
- Repeat with a second lot. Consistency counts as much as quality.
Aged or New Crop?
Age is a big price driver in extra long grain basmati rice wholesale. New crop 1121 is cheaper and perfectly fine for many retail buyers. Aged 1121, stored for months after harvest, cooks longer, firmer and more separate, and restaurants and Gulf buyers usually insist on it. If you’re buying aged, put the crop year and aging period in the contract and cook the sample. We’ll always tell you honestly how old a lot is.
Packing Options
| Pack | Typical use |
|---|---|
| 1 kg, 2 kg, 2 lb, 5 lb | Supermarkets, premium retail |
| 5 kg, 10 kg, 10 lb, 20 lb | Ethnic grocery, family bags |
| 20 kg, 25 kg, 40 lb | Restaurants, caterers |
| 39 kg, 40 kg, 50 kg | Gulf food service, repackers |
For extra long grain basmati rice wholesale, bag types include non woven with handles, jute look, printed BOPP with a window and PP woven. We print private label to your artwork. Our post on private label rice covers the proof and printing steps, which work the same way for basmati.
Price: What Moves It
Extra long grain basmati rice wholesale prices depend on:
- The harvest in India and Pakistan, and any export policy changes there.
- Variety, with 1121 above 1509.
- Style, with sella priced differently to raw and steam.
- Aging period.
- Broken percentage.
- Packing, with small printed bags costing more per tonne.
- Freight and the Incoterm.
We quote on a dated offer, FOB or CFR and CIF to your port. When you’re comparing suppliers, make sure you’re comparing like for like. Our guide to FOB vs CIF rice price explains why that matters.
Minimum Order and Lead Time
Our usual minimum for extra long grain basmati rice wholesale is one 20 foot container. You can mix 1121 and 1509, raw and sella, and different bag sizes in it. Lead time depends on the variety, the style, aging and whether bags need printing, and we confirm it on every offer. See our minimum order quantity guide for how loads are worked out.
Documents With Every Shipment
- Commercial invoice and packing list
- Bill of lading
- Certificate of origin
- Phytosanitary certificate
- Fumigation certificate
- Certificate of analysis
- Quality and weight certificate from an independent surveyor
- Pesticide residue test report against your market’s limits
- Halal certificate on request
Full list in our rice export documents checklist. Residue testing is especially important for buyers in the US, Canada and Europe, where limits on some pesticides used in South Asia are very strict. For US buyers, the FDA’s FSVP page explains the importer’s side of supplier verification.
Mistakes to Avoid
- Buying on raw length only. Always cook and measure.
- Not specifying the variety. “Extra long basmati” isn’t a variety. Name 1121 or 1509 in the contract.
- Trusting an aging claim without proof.
- Skipping residue tests for strict markets.
- Cheap bags. Basmati is valuable. Don’t let it split on the way.
- Ignoring broken percentage. 1% and 5% brokens look very different on a plate.
Why Buy From Us
We’ve been exporting rice for a long time, mostly Thai rice from our own mill, and we bring the same habits to basmati: written specs, honest crop dates, independent inspection and people who answer when something needs sorting out. Many of our customers buy basmati and Thai rice from us together: Thai Hom Mali rice, Thai jasmine rice, Thai white rice and Thai parboiled rice. One supplier, one contact, fewer headaches.
Food service buyers who need plain long grain as well should read Thai long grain white rice bulk suppliers USA and Thai long grain rice vs American long grain rice. Halal buyers can read about us as a halal certified rice supplier.
Extra Long Grain Basmati Rice Wholesale by Market
Every region wants something a little different. Getting this right is half the job when you buy extra long grain basmati rice wholesale, because the wrong style in the wrong market just sits in the warehouse.
Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the Gulf
The biggest buyers of 1121 sella in the world. Kabsa, mandi, machboos and biryani are cooked in huge quantities at home and in restaurants, and cooks want firm grains that stay whole in a big pot. Golden sella is especially popular. Bags of 5 kg, 10 kg, 20 kg and 39 or 40 kg are common, often in decorative printed bags with handles. Buyers here pay attention to grain length and are quick to reject a lot that cooks short.
The United Kingdom and Europe
Mostly steam and raw basmati for South Asian grocery, plus smaller retail packs for supermarkets. Residue limits in Europe are strict, so testing every lot is non negotiable. The UK market is mature and very brand driven, so private label buyers need packaging that looks as good as the leading names.
North America
The US and Canada buy 1121 in 10 lb and 20 lb bags for South Asian families, aged sella for restaurants and banquet halls, and smaller packs for mainstream supermarkets. Canada needs bilingual, metric labels. The US needs FDA compliant labels and an importer with an FSVP in place.
Africa
Demand is growing across East and West Africa, often for sella that’s easy to cook in large batches and handles warm, humid storage. Price sensitivity is higher, so 1509 sella often does well alongside some 1121.
Southeast Asia and Australia
Smaller but steady demand for 1121 and traditional basmati, mostly through South Asian and Middle Eastern grocers and restaurants.
How Extra Long Basmati Behaves in a Big Kitchen
Restaurant and catering buyers are some of our most important customers for extra long grain basmati rice wholesale, and they care about very specific things.
- Batch tolerance. A 30 kg pot of biryani is unforgiving. Sella and aged steam rice hold up. New crop raw rice often doesn’t.
- Holding time. Rice sitting in a bain marie for two hours should still look separate and long. Aged sella wins here.
- Layering. In biryani, rice is layered with meat and sauce and steamed again. Grains that break or go mushy ruin the dish.
- Consistency. Cooks set their water and timings once. If the next delivery behaves differently, the kitchen suffers.
That’s why food service buyers almost always ask us for aged 1121 sella and why they stay with a supplier once the rice works. For restaurant buyers who also need plain long grain or jasmine, our post on bulk jasmine rice for restaurants covers that side.
Building a Private Label Basmati Brand
A lot of buyers start in extra long grain basmati rice wholesale as distributors of someone else’s brand, then realise the margin sits with the brand owner. Launching your own label is simpler than most people expect.
- Pick your range. Usually a premium aged 1121, a value 1509 and a sella for food service.
- Choose bag sizes that match your market, not someone else’s.
- Design the bag. Name, grade, weight, cooking method, origin, and whatever your market requires by law.
- Send us the artwork. We check it against the bag dimensions and send a proof.
- Approve and print. The first print run takes a little longer. Repeat orders are faster.
- Keep the rice the same every time. That’s the part we take care of.
Your own brand on the shelf means your customers ask for you by name. That’s worth a lot more than a few dollars a tonne.
Cooking Instructions Worth Printing on the Bag
Customers judge rice by the pot, not the bag. Clear instructions turn a decent result into a great one, especially for shoppers who are new to extra long basmati. These are the methods we suggest to buyers of extra long grain basmati rice wholesale for their retail packs.
- Raw 1121 or 1509: rinse three or four times until the water is fairly clear, soak 20 to 30 minutes, then cook with about 1.5 to 1.75 cups of water per cup of rice. Bring to the boil, cover, turn the heat right down for 12 to 15 minutes, then rest 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
- Steam basmati: the same, with a touch more water, around 1.75 cups per cup.
- Golden or white sella: rinse and soak for at least 30 minutes, ideally an hour. Either boil in plenty of salted water for 12 to 14 minutes and drain, or cook with about 2 cups of water per cup of rice.
Don’t stir basmati while it cooks. That’s the most common reason long grains break.
Storage After Delivery
Basmati is a good keeper if it’s treated properly. Store it off the floor on pallets, away from walls and away from strong smells. Keep the warehouse dry and as cool as you reasonably can. Check older stock regularly and sell first in, first out. In hot, humid climates, smaller and more frequent shipments make more sense than one huge container.
Stored well, extra long grain basmati rice wholesale stock keeps its quality for 18 months or more, and aged rice often keeps improving for a while.
Planning Your Buying Calendar
The main basmati harvest comes in around October and November. New crop starts appearing in the market soon after, and prices often move as buyers compete for the best lots. Aged rice from the previous crop is usually tightest just before the new harvest arrives.
Demand peaks to plan around:
- Ramadan and Eid, which move about eleven days earlier each year.
- Diwali, usually in October or November.
- Wedding season in South Asian communities, roughly winter in South Asia and the Gulf and spring to autumn in North America and the UK.
- Hajj and Umrah seasons, which drive catering demand in Saudi Arabia.
Buyers of extra long grain basmati rice wholesale who book ahead of these peaks get better prices and better lots. Leave yourself at least two to three months between confirming an order and needing the rice on the shelf.
Questions to Ask Any Basmati Supplier
- Which variety exactly, and what average raw length will you guarantee?
- What’s the crop year, and how long has the rice been aged?
- What’s the maximum broken percentage and moisture?
- Is the rice fully sortexed?
- Will you test residues against my market’s limits?
- Can I nominate the surveyor?
- Which documents come with each container?
- Can you print my brand, and how long does the first print take?
We answer all of these in our first offer. If a supplier can’t, think hard before sending a deposit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is extra long grain basmati rice wholesale?
Bulk supply of the longest basmati varieties, mainly 1121 and 1509, sold by the container to importers, distributors, brands and food service companies.
Which is longer, 1121 or 1509?
1121 is generally the longer of the two, raw and cooked.
Can I mix 1121 and 1509 in one container?
Yes, along with different styles and bag sizes.
Do you supply aged basmati?
Yes. Tell us the aging you need and we’ll confirm availability in writing.
Can you print my brand?
Yes. Private label is a big part of our basmati business.
Do you ship worldwide?
Yes, to the Middle East, Europe, North America, Africa, Asia and beyond.
Can I get samples?
Yes. We courier samples so you can measure and cook them first.
Is sella or raw better for restaurants?
For most restaurants and caterers, sella. It’s firmer, takes rough handling in big pots and holds well on a buffet. Raw basmati has the better aroma, so some fine dining kitchens and home cooks still prefer it for plain steamed rice.
How do you stop blended rice getting into the bags?
Through variety checks on the paddy and rice, full colour sorting, grain length checks, and an independent surveyor at loading. You also get pre shipment samples from your own lot, so you can check for yourself before the container sails.
Do you sell brown basmati too?
Yes, in smaller volumes. It’s usually packed in retail sizes for health food stores and online sellers, and can go in the same container as your white basmati.
Order Extra Long Grain Basmati Rice Wholesale
De Thai Products 1989 Company Limited exports extra long grain basmati rice wholesale, alongside Thai Hom Mali, jasmine, white, parboiled and glutinous rice, and ships worldwide. You can see how we check every lot on our quality control page.
Tell us the variety, style, aged or new crop, broken percentage, bag sizes, brand, quantity and port, and we’ll send samples and a dated offer. Email info@dethairice.com, WhatsApp +66 81 034 6390, or use our contact page.
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