Italian Rice

Rice Buy Online to create rice salad or the typical risotto!

In Italia, there are many types of rice. One of these, called “Carnaroli”, is the most used and finest in Italian cuisine. It was obtained in 1945 by a cross between two different types of rice. It doesn’t scratch and doesn’t disintegrate and this is why it is suitable for the preparation of risotto. The Carnaroli is the most prized.

Another type is Arborio rice, it has bigger grain, with a structure that allows a good absorption of seasoning. It is suitable for the preparation of preserved risotto.

There are, also, many ready-made risotto create with different ingredients like asparagus, mushroom, truffle, saffron, parmesan, vegetables.

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Discover Italian Rice

Rice is a cereal originating in the Asian regions and introduced into Europe by the Arabs in the Middle Ages. The two primordial species that can be considered relevant for food purposes are Oryza sativa, of Asian origin, and Oryza glaberrima, of African origin. From the Asian species (Oryza sativa) are derived three subspecies: Japonica, suitable for temperate zones, with a short grain, which is the most widespread in the Italian fields; Indica and Javanica or Tropical Japonica, little known in Italy. Rice is usually sown in the rice fields in spring and it matures in 140-170 days. On the other hand, the combine-harvesting, that is the cutting of the cobs and the separation of the grains, takes place between summer and autumn. First, you have to select the beans and remove the impurities, they pass through the rollers, thus losing the outer coating, called husk, and becoming husked rice. At this point, a new selection is made to extract the immature grains and both the bud and the outer layers are eliminated. At this stage of processing, only whole grains are selected which will then be vacuum-packed and marketed.

History of Italian Rice

The spread of rice to the West, began when in the fourth century BC he landed in Mesopotamia, before arriving in Europe as a food product with Alexander the Great. From Palestine, from the West Bank and Syria, rice cultivation reaches Egypt, probably introduced by Indian populations and subsequently cultivated by the Arabs who spread it in North Africa and Spain. The first information on the rice trade dates back to the first century. A.D. But it was the Greeks who, thanks to their ability to explore unknown lands, made the rice known to the Western world. From the Greeks to the Romans and, later, throughout the Middle Ages and up to the Renaissance period, rice was considered as a spice, as a medicine for various pathologies or for cosmetics. Rice culture developed during the twentieth century in the Po delta. the ancient Roman world, rice wasn’t that of a cereal suitable for human alimentation but rather of a medicinal product which, it was prescribed by doctors to the richest patients to cure body diseases. Rice was known in Italy before the real cultivation began because it was considered a spice and it was sold for therapeutic purposes. Some traces of the presence of rice in Italy are already found in documents of 1390. In 1468 in Lombardy, a region of north Italy, was inaugurated the first paddy field. From Lombardy, the cultivation of rice quickly extended to all the wetlands of the Po Valley, and then in Tuscany and Emilia Romagna.

Italian Rice: Properties and Benefits

• it’s easy to digest
• it regulates intestinal flora
• it contains a fundamental amino acid for human beings: lysine and other proteins
• it contains essential fatty acids
• it has a lot of potassium and little sodium, it is perfect for those suffering from arterial hypertension
• it is gluten-free and can therefore also be consumed by those suffering from celiac disease
• it contains vitamins B1, B2, B3
• is an ally of the intestine, connective tissue, and the cardiovascular system

Italian Rice Varieties:

In Italy, there are about 150 varieties and more than 3 thousand in the world, each one characterized by its own organoleptic properties. Among the best known we can find:

• Carnaroli Rice: is the most suitable for the preparation of the typical Italian risotto and is also one of the most prized varieties known in the world. It is characterized by a very long grain, semi-tapered and pearly, which ensures excellent hold and low stickiness during cooking. The Carnaroli, cultivated mainly in the province of Milan, is considered an Italian historical variety. (Cooking time: 16 – 18 min)
• Arborio Rice: takes its name from the municipality of the same name in the province of Vercelli where it has been cultivated since 1946, gaining the status of “historical variety”. It has a long, semi-rounded, slightly squared and pearly grain and is considered one of the best risotto risottos, thanks to the good cooking and creaming resistance. (Cooking time: 17 – 18 min)
• Baldo Rice: it is inserted among the IGP varieties of the Po Delta area. It is characterized by a long, slightly tapered and crystalline grain and is used in the preparation of risotto, especially in the Piedmont area. Together with the Roma rice, it gives its name to the Roma-Baldo group: the two kinds of rice are very similar both in shape and size, differing only in the crystalline grain that characterizes Baldo. (Cooking time: 15 – 17 min)
• Roma Rice: it is characterized by a long, semi-pearled and pearly grain. Rome is often confused with Baldo rice, from which however it differs for the pearly grain. It is a very versatile type of rice in the kitchen, in fact, it can be used to cook risotto, white rice or with sauce or for pies and timbales. (Cooking time: 16 – 17 min)
• Vialone Nano Rice: presents a semi-long, round and pearly grain. Historical variety typical of Veneto (where he obtained the Igp) and of the area surrounding the city of Mantua in Lombardy. Although the grain is of medium size, it is considered as risotto rice, which guarantees excellent cooking resistance, with shorter times than other varieties. (Cooking time: 16 – 17 min)
• Andrea Rice: it is a typical variety of Piedmont that takes its name from the homonymous abbey of the city of Vercelli. It comes with a long, semi-pearled and pearly grain; thanks to its particular characteristics it has been included in the DOP Riso of Baraggia Biellese and Vercellese. The grain, although slightly smaller, guarantees an excellent cooking resistance, both for soups and soups and risottos. Riso S. Andrea is used to make one of the typical local dishes: panissa. (Cooking time: 14 – 16 min)
• Padano Rice: characterized by a medium grain, semi-round, pearly and a low level of amylose, which does not guarantee an optimal hold during cooking, it is perfect for soups, soups, minestrone and oven preparations, such as arancini or timballi. (Cooking time: 15 min)
• Ribe Rice: it has a long, tapered grain, with a little pearl that in cooking loses starch, resulting slightly sticky. For this reason in the kitchen is considered a versatile rice for different preparations such as rice salads, fillings, side dishes or timbales, supplì, and arancini, is less suitable for risotto, if not for that cooked medium. (Cooking time: 15 – 17 min)
• Rosa Marchetti Rice: it is a historic Italian variety that was discovered in 1963 in Arborio, in the area bordering the city of Vercelli, by the farmer Domenico Marchetti who gave him the name in honor of his wife. Rice presents itself with a semi-long grain, tapered and crystalline seeds. It is suitable not only for soups and soups but also for risottos, timbales and as a base for sweets and cakes. (Cooking time: 16 – 17 min)

Recipes Italian Rice