Everything You Need to Know about One of Our Favorite Grains
Rice is one of the most ubiquitous food staples across the globe—it’s a staple food for more than half of our planet’s population! Culinary cultures throughout Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas use this grain in many different ways, each of them as unique as they are delicious. Here we’ll travel through time to explore the rich history of rice in Italy, Spain, and North America. We’ll also explore the different varieties you’ll find on our shelves and share some tips for making the most of them in your own kitchen.
Rice & Shine!
Rice was first cultivated in Asia over 7,000 years ago. “Traveling gradually westward,” writes Zingerman’s Co-founder Ari Weinzweig in Guide to Good Eating, “it arrived in Europe in time to be a small footnote in Greek and Roman history,” around the end of the first millennium BC. It was initially introduced to the Spanish by Arab traders on the Silk Road, and was then brought to Sicily, which was under Spanish rule at the time.” It took a little while longer for it to be used for culinary purposes—about 500 years, actually! All three of these cooking cultures originally used this crop mostly for medicinal properties.
Intensive rice farming for food in areas like the Po River valley wouldn’t begin until the beginning of the 16th century. This era in Europe was not an easy time to live in, with both plagues and wars ravaging populations that were already often dealing with food shortages. Rice, however, proved to be a reliable crop—not just for medicine, but to eat. It began to be incorporated with other grains to make bread or porridge.
The varieties we have on our shelves (and that we will talk about here) have been recommended to us by our importers. They’re in line with Italian and Spanish culinary traditions because those are the relationships we’ve had for many years, and fall into the foodways we were also buying—such as olive oil and vinegar. There is obviously a much broader range of rice that this post doesn’t get into—if we covered everything about every kind, we’d have to write a whole book! We’ve more recently expanded our selection to a broader range of culinary traditions and cuisines, and we’re excited to see where the future takes us in terms of traditionally made products from other foodways.
A Real Starch-itect
Every type of rice absorbs large amounts of liquid, but the results after cooking are very different.
Italian rice grains are plump ovals, shorter and fatter than long-grain varieties like Basmati or true wild rice. It has a high starch content that creates the perfect creaminess required for a dish like risotto. It contains two starches, amylopectin and amylose. The amylopectin is a translucent layer of soft starch on the outside of the grain that dissolves easily in liquid while cooking, while the amylose makes up the “pearl” of sturdy starch in the middle of the grain. This allows the rice to achieve its trademark creaminess at the same time it maintains its structure.
The Spanish version is also short and squat, and is often referred to as redondo, “round” in Spanish. Although Spanish and Italian varieties look similar, they aren’t interchangeable. This texture achieved by Italian rice is the opposite of the desired texture of paella, which requires the grains to remain distinct while adhering to each other, but can separate easily with a fork. The type grown in Calasparra specifically can absorb up to twice as much liquid as other Spanish varieties, which lends itself to more flavorful dishes. In Spain, the three major growing regions are Valencia, the Ebro, and Calasparra. Italy, the largest European purveyor of the crop, grows it in Lombardy, Piedmont, and Veneto.
Risotto-ly Worth It! – Our Buying Guide
Like any high-quality product, there are some imposters on the shelves that we’ll show you how to spot. Buying any rice labeled “Italian” or “Spanish” is, as Ari says, “akin to picking up a block of cheese simply labeled ‘Cheddar.’” Which is to say, there’s a huge variety in quality!
When it comes to Italian rice, you’ll want to look for the most transparent grain—this means a high level of amylopectin, which will give your risotto the most creaminess. But if you still aren’t sure, check for a seal of the Italian rice growers’ consortium, established in 1997 by seventeen small companies in order to guarantee the authenticity advertised on their packaging. This organization, Consorzio di Tutela e Valorizzazione delle Varieta Tipiche di Riso Italiano e delle Sue Tradizioni (Association for the Protection and Development of the Typical Varieties of Italian Rice and Its Tradition), labels its vetted products with a seal of a stork standing in a rice field.
For good Spanish rice, check for the geographical source and the varietal. Spanish cooks judge the grain on its flavor, liquid absorption capacity, and ability to reach an al dente texture without collapsing into mush. There are two major varietals, Balilla and Bomba. Balilla is the most commonly available, absorbs twice its volume in liquid, and cooks in about fifteen minutes. Balilla from Calasparra, sold with the Denomination of Origin seal on it, is much more expensive. Meanwhile, Bomba has only grown in popularity outside Spain in the last few years. Although all three regions in Spain grow it, most producers only grow Balilla because Bomba is harder to grow and harder to find, but has a much better flavor, texture, and absorption capacity.
Now, let’s get into the products on our shelves!
Matiz Bomba Rice
We have two varieties of rice from Calasparra, Ballila and Bomba! Bomba has been almost unknown outside of Spain until the last few years and is one of our (and Ari’s) favorites.
Cascina Oschiena
Recently added to our shelves, but not at all new to the world—rice from Cascina Oschiena has been grown for over 300 years, and began with the guidance of Benedictine Monks! Today Cascina Oschiena is committed not only to delivering high-quality rice, but to doing so in a sustainable way. They conduct their environmental care and research exclusively within themselves on the farm and are recognized by the European Union as a Special Protection Area—Natura 2000. It’s a grain that you can feel really good about eating in more ways than one.
Ebano Rice: An aromatic, whole-grain rice that’s rich in proteins and minerals. The color comes from antioxidants found in the plant and the rice itself has an aroma reminiscent of toasted bread and popcorn.
Selenio Rice: A crystalline-grain rice with no pearl; naturally sticky and perfect for arancini, sushi, and anything else you’d use a short-grain rice for. It also has a lower glycemic index.
Carnaroli Rice: Another heirloom varietal from Cascina Oschiena. Pearled grains that maintain a firm texture while cooking for the best risotto you’ll ever make!
Arborio Rice: From one of only five farms in Italy that sustainably grow heirloom varieties of Arborio: perfect for risotto and other Italian cooking.
@risomargherita
Tenuta Margherita
Tenuta Margherita has been producing incredible stone-milled rice in Piedmont for over 120 years. After 60 days of storage in their silos, the grains are processed with their Minghetti “Amburgo” conical whitening machines—a process that handles the rice very gently, thus keeping intact all its flavor and nutritional properties.
Apollo Rice: This is a cute little white long-grain, also known as the Italian alternative to basmati.
Arborio Rice: Take a peek at this large pearl grain, it looks great in any dish but it’s perfect for well-cooked risottos.
Carnaroli Rice: The cream of the crop that Tenuta Margarita has to offer. It’s a classic Italian top-grade rice best suited for gourmet risotto recipes but works great in simple rice salads.
Venere Black Rice: This brown rice is naturally a dark black color. Very nutritious and aromatic so try adding it to any dish as a replacement for your normal go-to.
What About Wild Rice?
When it comes to wild rice here in the States, it’s a whole other story— because it isn’t directly related to other rice varieties at all, and actually has more in common with wheat! It grows in clear fresh water that is neither stagnant nor a swiftly moving current, and it reseeds itself every autumn when unharvested seeds fall back into the water. Oral traditions of Indigenous populations in modern-day North America tell us that this crop has been invaluable for thousands of years to the tribes across the Upper Midwest and central Canada. It’s particularly important to the Ojibwe tribe, also known as the Chippewa, and its spiritual significance causes much debate among Indigenous activists about state regulations that restrict the harvesting and handling of their rice.
A lot of wild rice sold on shelves—similar to “Italian” or “Spanish” rice—are false advertising. The harvesting of true wild rice is traditionally the province of Native Americans, in regions like Minnesota and other parts of the Upper Midwest. Much of modern “wild rice” is actually paddy-grown. It also absorbs a great deal of water similar to Italian and Spanish varieties, but is a much longer, thinner grain, and varies from dull gray to almost blond in color. The lighter the color, the faster it will cook—and when fully cooked, the outer sheath splits open to reveal the tender grain inside. Paddy-grown or cultivated “wild” rice is consistently smaller and darker than the real thing. When you’re shopping for wild rice, check the source—California is the largest seller of wild rice, but none of it is authentic. That only comes from Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan in smaller quantities. Outside the U.S. you can find it in Ontario, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. If you see “California” on the label, it’s paddy-grown.
KC’s Best Wild Rice
This authentically wild rice is hand-harvested from canoes by the Northern Minnesota Ojibway tribe. Fire-parched and full of nutty flavor, it will change your impression of what wild rice tastes like. Its rich and nutty flavor is great with fish, dried cherries, or even cinnamon!
Need Advice on Cooking Rice?
Two of Ari’s favorite dishes, unsurprisingly, are risotto and paella. Up until recently, risotto was primarily eaten in Italy on Sundays and holidays. Everyday risotto eating is a new phenomenon and we are big fans! Paella has hit a similar stride in recent years. “Paella now has much the same standing that risotto had a decade ago,” he says. “Almost anyone who’s interested in food and cooking has heard of it… While it appears quite often on American menus, however, it’s also almost impossible to find a good one in a restaurant.”
Luckily for you, reader, cooking either of these dishes at home is much easier than you might think. One of the biggest factors to cooking good risotto or paella is getting the right rice. Then it all depends on what dish you’re cooking. For risotto, you’ll want to add your broth in increments, keeping the liquid hot on a separate burner and stirring frequently to ensure even cooking and the best texture. For paella, you add the liquid all in one go (but still slowly!) and leave the dish to cook—no stirring! Just give the pan a gentle shake once or twice while cooking. For both risotto and paella, do NOT wash the rice—this removes the outer layer of starch that you need in your dish!
If you’re curious about how we use rice here at the Deli beyond stocking it on our shelves, check out our catering menu! You’ll find it in our Piri Piri Chicken, Paella, Wild Rice Salad, and Carolina Buttered Rice. Here on the blog, we have Ari’s recipe for Champagne & Parmigiano Risotto. Chef Rodger uses a similar recipe, but swaps water for some of the broth. He also reminds us that risotto is a base, and you can add a myriad of toppings to your liking and customize to your heart’s content — “have fun with your food!”
With these tools and recipes in your pocket, you’re ready to get cooking! And, of course, we’re always happy to answer any questions you might have when you stop by at the Deli.
