Kalonunia rice

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Kalonunia rice is a non-Basmati, aromatic rice with black husks grown mainly in the northern parts of West Bengal, India. It is widely cultivated in the districts of Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar, and in parts of Darjeeling and Kalimpong. The name comes from Bengali, with “Kalo” meaning black and “Nunia” referring to a local rice group; it is also known as Kala nenia, Kala nina, or Kala nooniah and is often called Kalonunia chaal (chaal means rice).

Kalonunia rice received Geographical Indication (GI) status on 2 January 2024, valid until 11 March 2034. The GI registration was proposed by SAMETI (State Agricultural Management & Extension Training Institute) in Narendrapur, with the application filed in March 2021. The Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai granted the tag in 2024, making Kalonunia rice exclusive to this region. It became the third rice variety from West Bengal to earn a GI tag, after Tulaipanji, and the 26th West Bengal product to receive GI protection, helping prevent illegal selling and giving the rice a unique regional identity.