rice

Italian rice, kind of goodness

Rice, pillar of good eating Italian taste? Our compatriots know it well, but especially abroad - and despite the growing fame of risotto - this is a story that has yet to be told. In Piedmont and Lombardy this cereal is one of the basic dishes of local gastronomy and is grown in an area that alone provides 80% of the total national production. Other important cultivation regions are Veneto and Sardinia. There is no single type of Italian rice.

There are 126 national varieties, which make the offer as rich as ever. The peninsula is also the leading producer in the European Union, and two out of three grains eaten in Europe are of Italian rice. There are four main categories of Italian rice. With small and round grains, it includes types such as Balilla, Cripta and Rubino. The Semifino is slightly longer and is distinguished in Lido, Titanio and Vialone nano.

Al Fino, more streamlined, includes qualities such as Ribe, Venere and Sant'Andrea. The Superfino, larger and rounder, belong to Arborio (most used in risottos), Baldo and Roma. Cooking times and recipes depend almost exclusively on the size of the grain. Thanks to its unique nutritional value, it is a fundamental element of the Italian diet.