Risotto rice

Who would have thought Italy to be such a prolific producer of rice? Arborio from the Po Valley and the risotto Rolls Royces – Carnaroli and Maratelli – from Vercelli. These risotto grains have a very particular brief. They must be absorbent enough to take flavour but generous enough to release starch to make a creamy sauce. Remember amylose, the chemical lacking in sticky rice? Well, risotto rice needs this same deficiency – it must not hold its form too tightly.

The grain is short or medium. Classifications of superfino, semifino and fino refer not to quality but to the length and width of grain. Carnaroli is least likely to overcook but what it gains in backbone it loses in speed of cooking and absorbency. This is the delicate balance that every risotto cook seeks in a rice.