Chiura (Beaten Rice) Made in Nepal

In the language of Newari, one of many languages in Nepal, the beaten rice is known as baji. The newar people or Newars are the oldest citizens of the Kathmandu Valley and its surrounding areas in Nepal. Newari is spoken as a native language by the Newar people. The same beaten rice is called “chiura” in Nepali, Nepal’s official language.

Making baji involves soaking grains of white rice and pounding the grains flat with a heavy wooden mallet. Usually, it is purchased as a dry, already flattened product that is sold in any store or market. Different varieties of beaten rice, some more expensive than others, come in different thicknesses. Red, which is the thinnest, is considered the best. Liquified baji is also used in Chinese folk medicine as an aphrodisiac.