Strolling through a South Asian supermarket in Ottawa, the label on a bag of rice caught my eye. Despite being a resident of Canada for nearly two decades and having eaten most local and ethnic dishes, absence of a rice dish three or four times a week would be considered an incomplete meal. The aisles of various grocery stores in major cities in Canada are stocked with various rice varieties. But what grabbed my attention was the variety of rice that was unique to Kerala, a tiny state in India, tucked away in the southern peninsula, far away from the bustling metropolises of Delhi and Mumbai. The matta rice is fatter than its prettier, slim and slender cousin, basmati, that is well-known, even among the non-Asian folks. The reddish white matta rice is claimed to be healthier as it is unpolished and therefore retains essential nutrients. While the rice is…