Look no further than Acquerello, from the Colombara farm run by the Rondolino family in Italy. I learned about them while hubby and I were watching reruns of a Heston Blumenthal tv series. Their rice is grown, aged, whitened and packed in Italy. To quote their webiste “it is the ultimate rice because firstly the unhusked rough rice is aged to perfection for at least one year, then is whitened slowly using an exclusive method, and finally restored with its most precious element the embryo or germ”.
Acquerello rice belongs to the Carnaroli varietyand is from the Japonica subspecies of rice. It is classified as “Extra rice” for its quality, combining the essential nutritional values of brown rice with the cooking characteristics of superior white rice, absorbing cooking liquids very well without being sticky.
During cooking Acquerello loses very little starch, so the grains do not bind together even when the rice becomes cold and dry. It is able to absorb a greater amount of cooking liquids and flavours, so after cooking the grains become bigger, heavier and tastier thus enhancing all the other ingredients.
It cooks almost like any risotto rice although I found it needed a little longer than other rices I’ve used. You’ll need to use a little more liquid (stock, wine, water – whatever you’re using) than you’re used to, but it’s worth the effort.
It comes in several sizes: tins of 250g, 500g or 1kg and a vaccuum sealed pack of 2,5kg. Having tried the rice once before, I’ve gone for the 2.5 kilo option. I know that will be gone before I know it.