Rice

Dense, creamy, and totally versatile, there’s a reason rice is one of the most eaten foods in the world. It can be enjoyed in sweet or savory dishes, as a side dish or the star of the show. And while it falls behind pasta for the title of most famous Italian carb, it’s one of the country’s most beloved (and most valuable) starchy staples.

In fact, Europe’s largest rice-growing region is the Po Valley in northern Italy. The fertile lowlands have the perfect climate for cultivating the versatile grain, with water flowing down from the Alps into a basin that stretches from Torino to Modena. With just a little effort, rice farmers have been thriving here since the Middle Ages, after the Duke of Milan encouraged his subjects to begin growing the crop.

But that wasn’t the first time Italians had enjoyed the starchy, nutritious grain. The first introduction of rice to Italy was several hundred years earlier, when the Moors brought rice from North Africa and Persia to the island of Sicily. A historic melting pot in the middle of the Mediterranean, Sicily’s culinary influences are a global melting pot of deliciousness. It’s here that arancini, the handheld fried rice balls that are a popular Italian street food, were invented!

Today, the versatile grain has fans across the country, from saffron-scented risotto alla Milanese from Milan in the north to tiella Pugliese, a paella-like dish from the southern “heel” of Italy’s boot. Even the Amalfi coast favorite fritto misto (fried seafood) is coated in rice flour for its signature weightless crunch.

Discerning Italians know there’s a difference between rice varieties like arborio, carnaroli, and roma—and each has its pride of place in the Italian pantry. Now you can find your own favorite among our selection of high-quality Italian rice and rice flour, grown by family farmers who have been perfecting their craft for centuries.