And how to become a Rice Sommelier
How did Italy become a major rice grower?
Rice cultivation in Italy dates back to the days of Leonardo Da Vinci and owes its beginnings to the efforts of this Renaissance genius.
It was in 1482 that Da Vinci began work for Milan's Duke Ludovic Le More, a scion of the Sforza dynasty, who asked him to develop a network of irrigation canals around the powerful duchy.
Da Vinci also had his own vineyard in Milan which has just recently been brought back to life.
Apart from occasional holdups over fears that the rice paddies encouraged malaria-bearing mosquitoes, cultivation went from strength to strength in the valley, spreading to the neighboring Piedmont region thanks to a canal built in the 19th century.
"The availability of water allowed us to overcome other obstacles we have here, such as temperatures that are not high enough," said Anna Del Ciello, a marketing expert at the Italian Rice Board.
Nevertheless, the Po Valley today boasts about 240,000 hectares (600,000 acres) of rice farms with an annual output of over 1.4 million tonnes, more than half of Europe's production.
What’s a rice sommelier?
Rice Sommelier Valentina Masotti offers courses in how to become a rice sommelier - both in person and online. Valentina is a certified Rice Sommelier and Wine Sommelier.
You can contact Valentina directly about her classes, or find her on Instagram.
Valentina also offers rice cooking classes like how to make a great risotto, and specialty rice classes including a vegan rice cooking class.
The concept of a rice sommelier was created by AcquaVerdeRiso, the first Italian company to apply sensory analysis to rice, in the same way we do with wine.
Sensory analysis examines the properties (texture, flavor, taste, appearance, smell, etc) to recognize the quality of the rice.
How is it done?
Observing rice through a glass, examining the raw and then the cooked rice to recognize its aroma, and finally tasting the cooked rice to recognize its flavor and sometimes compare it to others.
What kinds of rice are cultivated in Italy?
In Italy about 70 varieties of rice are cultivated. Over 60% of production is exported.
For the Northern European market, Italy produces Long B rice, that has a long and thin grain, perfect for salads and side dishes. This rice is aromatic and quite similar to Basmati from India and Jasmine from Thailand.
Worldwide Italian rice is best known for its signature rice dish: risotto. For risotto you don’t boil and drain rice, but instead you cook it in water or broth, allowing the rice to gradually absorb the liquid that is added ladle by ladle during the cooking process. The typical Italian rice varieties used for risotto are Arborio, Carnaroli, Roma, Baldo, S. Andrea, Vialone Nano.
Italian law regulates rice production and marketing, and specifies the rice varieties that are used for risotto.
Carnaroli: the king of risotto. Carnaroli is a historic rice dating back to 1945. It has a large and pearly grain that favors the absorption of broth. It has a high amylose content, which is why it’s loved by the chefs!
Arborio: is probably the most famous Italian rice in the world. This Piedmontese risotto variety was born in 1946 in Arborio, a small town in the province of Vercelli, hence the name of the rice.
It was Domenico Marchetti who created this rice variety by crossing an American rice variety from Louisiana, Lady Wright, with the Italian rice variety, Vialone. This could well be the reason that arborio is the best known risotto rice in the United States.
Roma and Baldo: are two very similar rices, created in Vercelli in the ‘60. The difference? Roma has the pearl inside, while Baldo is crystalline. Baldo is also cultivated in the territory of the Delta del Po, between Emilia Romagna and Veneto.
S. Andrea: has a smaller grain than Roma and Baldo. This rice variety is resistant to low temperatures, and its cultivation is widespread in the Baraggia, in Piedmont, where the temperature is colder, especially at night.
It takes its name from the Church of S. Andrea Vercelli, where it's used for the preparation of the typical dish of the area, panissa, a risotto made with sautéed lard and salami in fat and onion, and then cooked in bean broth.
Vialone Nano: this rice grain is smaller than the others, but it has a very good cooking resistance, thanks to its high amylose content.
It cooks in less time than Carnaroli, and guarantees excellent cooking results for a risotto al dente.
How to choose and purchase the best risotto rice
Choose a rice that is produced in Italy by an Italian company. Internationally this isn't always a simple matter because some rice producers market their rice as Italian when in fact it isn't. Often it's a better idea to purchase rice in a specialty store rather than a grocery store. Wherever you buy rice, take a look at the packaging and make sure the rice was grown and produced in Italy.
If you're looking for a wonderful Carnaroli rice, the one produced by Riso Buono is excellent and it's sold in the United States through Giadzy.
You can also buy Riso Scotti online, buy Italian risotto rice at Alma Gourmet online, or at the fabulous Italian gourmet shop in Sacramento, CA, Corti Bros.
A brief history of risotto
Risotto is a typical italian recipe. There’s not a precise birthday of risotto, because it was created over the centuries, beginning with popular soups prepared with vegetables, cereals and broth.
In the XX century Italian farmers gradually started to select rice with a bigger grain. Millers became more industrial: when processing rice, they started to select only whole grains, discarding any broken grains. So rice was better!
Italians began to prepare drier and creamier rice dishes instead of soups. Probably one of the first gastronomers who introduced the classic risotto recipe was Pellegrino Artusi in his 1891 book Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well.
A cold summer risotto recipe
It's unbearably hot in Italy right now, so why not try a cold risotto? It veers away from a classic risotto recipe but it's a delightful twist on the classic, perfect for summertime. One such recipe is from Niko Romito, one of Italy's top Italian chefs with 3 Michelin Stars. He created a cold rice recipe (risotto-ish), with green pepper and apple.
The rice isn't cooked like a risotto, but instead it’s boiled and drained, with the cooking liquid reserved. Part of the rice is blended to get a cream. Then the rice cream is melded with a green pepper and apple cream. The result is a unique texture, and a consistent rice grain served in a sweet-and-sour green pepper and apple cream.
Here's the recipe from chef Niko Romito: (stay tuned...recipe on the way!)
Sushi rice in Italy?
Another rice recipe for the summer in Italy is sushi or poke. As Japanese food is increasingly in demand, Italy started growing sushi rice, with a round, small and crystalline grain. This rice is low in amylose content, so it’s sticky enough to prepare sushi. The name of these rice varieties are Selenio, Yume and Fortunato.
Here are a few of my risotto recipes to check out:
Risotto with Fennel
Pumpkin Gorgonzola Risotto
Wild Rice Risotto with Roasted Brussels Sprouts
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