Blog

Around the world thousands of dishes feature a wide variety of different sides and bases from everything including bread, salad, pasta, and even rice. Rice is celebrated as a unique dish all over the world from Canada to Asia to Europe. It is used in a variety of ways whether that be as a plain side or a flavourful base. Because of its historical use it can be found in ancient and new dishes all over the globe and is still considered a favourite by many people.

Rice is used so often and in so many dishes because it is one of the most versatile foods. Due to its absorbent nature, it can take on many different flavours and adapt to any dish or remain plain for a simple addition. Also due to the variety of species of the grain the flavour, colour, or texture of the grain can vastly alter a dish, creating something unique every time.

Within Italian cuisine rice is used for numerous reasons, including as a side, dessert, or most notably within risotto. However, there are quite a few different spices and types of rice used for a slew of applications. Here are the most common types of rice within kitchens today, their historical origins, and their use within cooking.

If you wish to use any of the following types of rice in your culinary adventures, check out Vincenzo’s online and in-store to pick some up today and get started cooking.

Carnaroli Rice

Carnaroli is a medium-grain rice grown within Northern Italy, specifically in the Pavia, Novara, and Vercelli provinces. There is not much known about the history of Carnaroli. We don’t even know when it was invented, however, early references can be traced back to around 1945. It is a cross breed between Vialone and Lencino rice. The grain was named after Professor Emiliano Carnaroli, the president of “Ente Nazional Risi” (The National Rice Body) at the time of its creation. It was bred for the sake of creating a strong, creamier rice to be used within risotto.

Although it may not be common here in North America, it is used across Italy in a wide variety of dishes. It is most used for making risotto, as it has a high starch content, firmer texture, longer grain, and can hold up its shape during the cooking process. It is often preferred in professional cooking over the other more common choice, Arborio, as it has a better texture and starch content.

Arborio Rice

Arborio is a short-grain variety of Italian rice and is named after the town of Arborio, found in the Po Valley of the Piedmont region of Italy. Like Carnaroli rice, it is used frequently in Italian cuisine. It is favoured for risotto, because it too has a high starch content and a good texture allowing it to maintain its shape during the cooking process. However, it is also commonly used in many deserts within Italian cooking, such as rice pudding. Because of its smaller grain size and sweeter taste it works well in many deserts as it can adapt better to the flavours.

Vialone Nano

Vialone Nano is a medium-grain rice, like Carnaroli rice. It is found in Southern Italy, specifically in the Southern Provincia di Verona (Veronese lowlands), in Veneto. It has been growing in Italy since 1937, when it was bred from combining Vialone and Nano rice. It too was bred to create a better breed of rice for making risotto.

Its culinary application only extends as far as risotto, like the previously mentioned species. It was created because of the plants’ low growing height and the grains high starch levels. It too is a heartier grain able to withstand the high heat and liquid content during the cooking process for risotto.

Arroz Bomba / Bomba Rice

Arroz Bomba or Bomba rice, is a short-grain variety originating from Spain. It hails from Eastern Spain and is believed to have originated from an Indian species. The variety was brought to the Iberian Peninsula through the Middle East.

It is known for having non-stick properties, lending itself well to dishes such as paella which requires a crispy bottom without sticking to the pan. It also has the ability absorb two to three times its volume in water. Because of this it typically requires a higher-than-normal volume of water to cook. However, it also allows the rice to take on a lot of flavour through the water or broth it is cooked in. Aside from paella it is used in a variety of other dishes in Valencian cuisine and is often referred to as Valencia rice.

White Rice

White rice is considered to be the most basic and popular species of rice. It is used across the world in a variety of applications spanning from Chinese fried rice to Spanish stuffed peppers. Due to its plain flavour, it can be adapted to suit whatever type of cuisine you choose to pair it with.

White rice is a variety that has been milled to have the husk, bran, and germ removed. Due to the milling process, the rice is stripped of most of its nutritional content, hence it is considered an unhealthy rice option. However, in the United States it is required that the rice be enriched with some of the nutrients that are stripped away during the milling process before it can be packaged and commercially sold.

There have been many debates over the centuries over which is the healthiest option for a well-balanced diet. While it is true that white rice does lose a lot of its nutritional value during milling, it can still be a good and healthy addition to your diet. In some instances, it may be healthier to opt for brown or wild rice, however, if you are balancing your meal with other healthy choices, it is perfectly fine to eat white rice.

Black / Purple Rice

Black rice or purple rice is a group of rice from the species Oryza Sativa, even containing a glutinous rice variety. There is quite a variety of black rice including Indonesian black rice, Philippine heirloom balatinaw black rice, pirurutong black glutinous rice, and Thai jasmine black rice all of which are used across the world for a variety of applications.

Despite the strange colour, it is very similar to brown rice in terms of taste, texture, and nutritional content. It too has a high bran content and a mild nutty taste lending itself well to a multitude of flavour combinations. It is used in a variety of dishes across the world, however, the glutinous variety is mainly used in deserts because of its sticky properties and pretty colour. When black rice is cooked it takes on more of a deep purple colour creating a beautiful contrast in many dishes or a colourful addition to desserts. It allows for fun and pretty dishes without the use of harmful colourants or dyes.

Red Rice

Red rice is a variety that is eaten either unpolished or partially polished. This allows the bran layer of the grain to remain intact, like brown or black rice. It has the highest nutritional value amongst rice eaten with the bran intact. It is often used as a healthy alternative within meals. Like other varieties of rice, it is used in a multitude of dishes either as the base or main portion or as a side. It is most found within Spanish or Mexican cuisine.

Wild Rice

Wild rice is one of the most historically used varieties of grain. Also referred to as manoomin, Canada rice, Indian rice, or water oats, the grain has been commonly eaten and grown within North America and China for centuries. Unlike other healthier options for rice, wild rice has more of a vegetal taste rather than a nutty taste, creating a more earthy flavour palette within dishes.

Historically wild rice was harvested and eaten by indigenous peoples in North America. They used to harvest the plants by canoeing across the lakes or rivers over to clusters of the plants and either harvesting the small grains sitting above the water or the entire plant, as part of the stem and roots are edible. Now in the modern day, wild rice is harvested regularly and commercially sold all over the world. It is often chosen as a healthy option or for more historically based recipes. One of the most popular dishes for wild rice is wild rice soup often made with mushrooms and other earth vegetables.

If you are interested in making any of the dishes mentioned or are simply looking for a good side or base to your meal, check out Vincenzo’s online or in-store today. There you are able to pick up all of the previously mentioned varieties of rice and begin to expand your kitchen cupboard and culinary journey.