Red Wild Rice

With one taste of this Ermes red rice from Tenuta Margherita, you’ll want to add it to your pantry rotation permanently. A type of brown rice, these grains are unhulled for a chewy texture and rich nutty flavor. It also makes them powerfully healthy: the natural red color is the result of anthocyanins, a potent antioxidant, as well as high levels of iron, magnesium, calcium, and zinc  The most nutritionally powerful of all rice varieties, red rice makes a visually stunning addition to any meal.

In the province of Vercelli, in the northern Piedmont region, rice is a way of life. It lies within the Po Valley, which stretches from Torino to Modena and makes up the largest rice-growing region in Europe. Here, the fertile lowlands are flooded every summer to support the young sprouts as they grow, turning the landscape from watery blue to golden yellow as they grow and mature. The Piedmont is renowned for its agricultural bounty, and is home to decadent specialties that also include white truffles and barolo.

It’s here that Tenuta Margherita has been growing rice since 1904, and where they continue to work the land according to time-honored principles. Their rice is managed from field to table, carefully protected every step of the way to ensure that only the best of the best makes it to your home. After harvesting, the rice grains are dried thoroughly and then aged for 45 days, which improves its flavor, texture, and nutritional makeup. It’s then gently stone-ground using a traditional method that retains more of the healthy germ on the rice, lending it a gorgeous amber tint. The result is an absolutely superior rice with large, pearly grains.