Description

When you take the name "Arborio", the only name that comes to your mind is Italy. It is named so after the town of Arborio in the Piedmont region where it is originally cultivated. Today, it is grown in Texas and California too.
It is short (almost round) grain rice with high starch content, which is used to prepare the classic "Risotto". It has a pearly white exterior and comes in various sizes. Since it undergoes less milling than ordinary long grained rice, it retains more natural starch content. Because of its brilliant absorption capacities, it gives risotto the creamy consistency the recipe demands.
Technically speaking, Arborio is the only rice that should be used to prepare risotto. However, varieties of rice like Vialone Nano and Carnaroli are more commonly used when Arborio is not affordable or available. Like pasta, arborio rice is prepared al dente, which means that it should be slightly firm to the bite - a degree of doneness that might seem underdone in ordinary white rice.

How to select

Commonly available in the "white" variety, it is available in "brown" variety too. However, its texture is not as creamy as the white variety would give. Thus, choose accordingly. Ensure that the grains are oval and short in size. Buy arborio rice in the packaged grain section of your food or grocery store. It may also be sold in bulk at many health food stores. When buying bulk arborio rice, look for intact kernels that aren't broken, scratched, or damaged.

Culinary Uses

· It is widely used for the classic rice preparation "Risotto". Cooking releases the natural starch content present in Arborio rice, giving it a nice creamy consistency. Preparing arborio rice differs from most other rice preparations in that the liquid (usually stock) is added a little at a time, rather than all at once, and arborio rice must be stirred as it cooks. These steps help to release starches and promote creaminess. Thus, any recipe that require rice to absorb moisture and get a creamy texture should make use of Arborio rice. It absorbs up to 5 times the weight in liquid as it cooks, which result in grains of a creamy consistency.
· A basic risotto makes use of parmesan cheese, butter, rice, wine and stock. Use a basic risotto to make asparagus risotto, mushroom risotto etc.
· If you have left over risotto, combine with cheese, breadcrumbs and spices to make deep fried risotto rice balls. Serve these as a snack.
· It also works well for the Spanish delicacy "Paella" and for rice puddings.
· Add cucumber and spices to cooked Arborio rice and use as a variation to salad. Apart from salads, use it in soups and rice puddings.


How to store

Store uncooked rice in a cool, dry area in a sealed glass or plastic container, away from moisture. Cooked rice can be refrigerated for up to seven days, or stored in the freezer for six months. In order to store in the freezer, pack in food quality zip lock bags or freeze bags and then freeze.

Health benefits

· It is a good source of iron (around 2.75 mg per 1 cup cooked rice).