Acquerello – Carnaroli Risotto Rice 250 g

Acquerello Carnaroli risotto rice with germ from Piedmont

Acquerello Carnaroli risotto rice by Rondolino is aged Carnaroli from Livorno Ferraris, presented here in a 250 g tin. The germ is removed during the polishing process, and a patented method returns it to the polished grain. The tin is sufficient for three servings of risotto.

Acquerello Carnaroli risotto rice is an aged risotto rice from Acquerello in Piedmont, grown in the fields of the Tenuta Colombara in the province of Vercelli. This small tin is designed for households that cook risotto for two or three people.

The germ returns to the grain

When rice is polished, the germ—the small heart at the end of the grain—is removed along with the husk. In white rice, it usually remains in the mill along with the bran. The Rondolino family collects it and uses their own internationally patented process to reattach it to the polished grain.

In the kitchen, the Acquerello Carnaroli then behaves just like white risotto rice; it cooks evenly and easily. You don't have to do anything differently than usual, neither with the broth nor with the cooking time. The germ is simply a part of it again, just as it was part of the grain in the field.

Rice fields under water from April to August

The fields of the Tenuta Colombara are submerged every year from April to August. The water comes from the Dora Baltea, a river flowing from the Alps of the Aosta Valley. The sky is reflected between the stalks, and swallows and dragonflies hunt above the basins.

Frogs croak in the pools, and water birds stalk along the edges in search of food. Beneath this shallow, mirror-like surface, the Carnaroli grows slowly until each panicle bears around 160 grains. In late summer, the water is drained, the fields turn golden, and then the harvest begins.

The tin protects what is inside the grain

The rice is packaged directly on the estate in vacuum-sealed tins that are subsequently filled with nitrogen. This prevents any air from reaching the grains, and once sealed, Acquerello keeps for seven years from the date of packaging.

Once the tin is opened, it is best to store it in a cool, dry place in your pantry. Because the 250 g is enough for about three portions of 80 g each, the small tin is usually used up long before the rice would even have time to age. The tin stores well next to the pasta, ready for the next evening.

Risotto for two on a weekday

A risotto for two needs little more than an onion, a splash of white wine, and a liter of hot broth, and it can be on the table in less than half an hour. A porcini mushroom bouillon cube gives the rice a deep, earthy flavor without you having to clean mushrooms first.

Finally, stir in a spoonful of truffle cream with Parmigiano Reggiano, and the evening will feel like the weekend. If you like, grate a little more Parmigiano on top and set a glass of the same white wine you used in the pot alongside it. You can find more risotto rice in our range, as well as the large tin and the family history on the Acquerello producer page.