This rice is now used widely in the north east of Italy to prepare typical dishes due to the age-old culinary traditions of the Veneto and Mantua regions. Indeed, it brings out the best in the traditional flavours of those regions, making the simple ingredients that typify these areas, such as pumpkin, snails and game, into the ideal seasoning for a wide variety of risottos. The rounded grains of Vialone Nano mean that this rice is excellent for absorbing seasoning and produces an enviable yield when cooked which is why it can be used in numerous ways and combinations. Particularly suited for risottos.
Hints
For making risottos, use of a mild flavoured olive oil is recommended so it does not mask the very delicate flavour of the rice. The best solution is a combination of oil and butter because the oil raises the so-called "smoke point" of the butter and stops the small quantity of whey in the butter from burning.
Vacuum-packing prevents the rice from changing and preserves the colour, flavour and nutritional values of the grain.
This is one of the most popular rice varieties in Italy, thanks to its shape and texture. The plump grain rice maintains its consistency throughout cooking. During cooking, the heat penetrates the most peripheral area of the grain, leaving the central core (rich in starch) ‘al dente’.
This is what makes it suitable for all types of risottos, which can be deliciously creamy, as well as for timbales and ‘supplì’ (Rome’s mozzarella-filled rice croquettes). Arborio rice is named after the town of the same name in Vercelli where it was first selected in 1946, derived from the Vialone cultivar.
Even today, these areas of the Po Valley are the largest producers of Arborio rice.