Risotto Rice - Help Please?!?!

"Alex" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Hi

I am having some friends round next weekend and want to cook a Risotto, can anyone give me some
comments about which of the Risotto rices are best and why; Vialone Nano, Arborio or Carnaroli?

Many thanks

Alex

I have tried both arborio and carnaroli and my experience is that while they are different, you will
see greater differences between different brands/batches of the same rice (arborio for example) than
between the two different types. I think it is more important to have top quality rice, imported
from Italy of course, and less important which type it is.

--
Peter Aitken

Remove the [censored] from my email address before using.

Quoted message said:

Hi

I am having some friends round next weekend and want to cook a Risotto, can anyone give me some
comments about which of the Risotto rices are best and why; Vialone Nano, Arborio or Carnaroli?

Many thanks

Alex

Vialone Nano grains produce a less creamy risotto and has a more toothsome quality than Arborio.
Carnaroli is the best rice for risotto. It produces a very creamy risotto with more bite to it than
Arborio. Arborio is sort of the red headed stepchild of short grain Italian rices... it's fine to
use, but if you can find Carnaroli I would recommend that.

Suzanne

Alex said:

Hi

I am having some friends round next weekend and want to cook a Risotto, can anyone give me some
comments about which of the Risotto rices are best and why; Vialone Nano, Arborio or Carnaroli?

Many thanks

Alex

Arborio rice is the best-known variety and the Italians' favorite, perhaps because its grain is very
large it is easy to cook al dente without overcooking. Arborio is particularly suitable for risotto.

Vialone rice has a smaller grain and is very common in the Veneto area. Generally it is cooked
all’onda (wavy), that is, consistent but still soft and not too dry.

Carnaroli is first-rate rice, cultivated mainly in the Piemonte area. It cooks uniformly without
overcooking, has a very special taste, and mingles very well with condiments. Carnaroli will absorb
a larger amount of liquid. It is particularly suitable for risotto and rice salad.

As peter aitken says in a different part of this thread, it is important to have a good quality
rice. There it is difficut to help. I found very good ones and very bad ones. I would use Carnaroli.
It is a little more expensive, but should be a higher quality. Good luck.

Ciao, Anna Maria

www.annamariavolpi.com

Quoted message said:

From: Alex [email hidden]
Date: 12/27/03 12:11 PM Central

Quoted message said:

I am having some friends round next weekend and want to cook a Risotto, can anyone give me some
comments about which of the Risotto rices are best and why

La Preferida brand has a Mexican Pearl Rice in a 2 pound bag for about $1.59. It may not be " the
best ", but it cooks up to a nice risotto at a nice price.

Maybe as important as the specific rice are the other ingredients and herbs added to the dish. What
are you adding to the rice?

Brent97G said:

Quoted message said:

From: Alex [email hidden] Date: 12/27/03 12:11 PM Central

Quoted message said:

I am having some friends round next weekend and want to cook a Risotto, can anyone give me some
comments about which of the Risotto rices are best and why

La Preferida brand has a Mexican Pearl Rice in a 2 pound bag for about $1.59. It may not be " the
best ", but it cooks up to a nice risotto at a nice price.

Maybe as important as the specific rice are the other ingredients and herbs added to the dish.
What are you adding to the rice?

I am in the UK so La Preferida brand i don't think is an option.

I was planning a wild mushroom risotto.

Alex said:

Brent97G said:

Quoted message said:

From: Alex [email hidden] Date: 12/27/03 12:11 PM Central

I was planning a wild mushroom risotto.

excellent ..... remember to use a good broth and true parmigiano reggiano for best result!

buon appetito!

ciao, anna maria

www.annamariavolpi.com