NEW YORK: The votes are in for the world's best basmati rice. A taste test held by the Testing Lab on the popular US TV show 'Americas Test Kitchen', compared Tilda basmati against six other brands and declared Tilda the winner.

The other brands included four grown in India and two grown in the US. The popular TV food show, 'America's Test Kitchen', is broadcast in the US by the Public Broadcasting Station. Although it has sponsors, the station accepts no product advertising.

As a highly respected show, America's Test Kitchen holds many blind tests of products to offer unbiased reporting on its results. To determine the winning brand, the judges based their decision on the very specific qualities basmati rice must possess. True basmati rice is grown in the foothills of the Himalayas fed by the melting snow. This rare location nurtures rice with a beautiful aroma, nutty taste and long fluffy grains that are soft, not sticky.

While Tilda emerged the winner, not surprisingly, brands grown in India reigned supreme while the US basmati fell short on taste and quality.Of the seven brands tested, Tilda was the only brand to score a "Highly Recommended" by the judges. Judges commented that Tilda's basmati rice was "wonderfully textured" and "graceful".

The domestic brands scored a poor "Not Recommended" by the judges who commented that their rice was a "gummy mess" even going as far as to ask, "Is this regular rice?" The story of Tilda is one of unbroken success. From relatively humble beginnings in Harrow, NW London, and UK, almost thirty years ago, Tilda has grown from a pulse and rice packaging company, into an international food brand selling in over 40 countries.

It has developed into a brand of genuine and uncompromising quality for people who care about their food and how it tastes. For more information on this basmati taste test, visit www.cooksillustrated.com.