White Arborio Rice - Organic

Rice is the seed of the oryza grass. The rice plant can grow to 1.8m! It is the most widely consumed staple food for a large part of the world's human population.

What Is Arborio Rice?

Arborio and risotto can often get mixed up. Arborio is the name of the short, fat, pearly white Italian rice, used in dishes where a creamy texture is desired, whereas risotto is an Italian technique for cooking arborio.

Arborio rice is not milled as much as ordinary long-grained rice, so it keeps more of its natural starch content. Cooking the rice slowly and adding a little bit of liquid at a time releases this starch slowly so that it dissolves and thickens the cooking liquid - giving the arborio a creamy sauce-like texture.  

Cooking With Arborio Rice

Rinse thoroughly until the rinse water is clear before cooking to remove any excess starch.

For a basic risotto, heat 4 cups of chicken stock, then lower the heat. In another pan, sautee 1 chopped onion in butter for 2-3 mins, then add 1 ½ cups Arborio rice.

Stir for 1-2 mins to coat the rice in the butter mix. Then, add ½ cup dry white wine and stir until it is all absorbed. Then, add a ladle of chicken stock at a time and stir constantly – making sure that you wait for the stock to be almost completely absorbed before adding the next ladle. This will take 20-30 mins.

Once all the stock has been added, stir in 2 tbsp butter, ¼ cup grated parmesan and 1tbsp chopped Italian parsley. Then add in whatever you would like. I love to add some sautéed mushrooms and sliced, grilled chicken breasts.

Arborio rice also makes a beautiful, creamy rice pudding.