Flours and grains · Italian cuisine
Arborio rice
Italian rice with a large, fairly broad grain and an extensive pearly core – a classic choice for risotto.
At a glance
- Origin
- Italy, village of Arborio (province of Vercelli); traditional trade name under Legislative Decree 131/2017.
- Ratio
- Grain 6.6–7.2 × 3.2–3.4 mm, length-to-width ratio 2.0–2.2, very extensive pearl.
- Use
- Risotto, arancini and other Italian rice dishes.
- Substitutes
- Carnaroli, Vialone Nano.
Arborio takes its name from the village of Arborio in the province of Vercelli, where the agronomist Marchetti selected the variety in the first half of the twentieth century. It is one of the most widely used Italian rices and holds its shape well in cooking, which makes it suitable for risotto as well as for arancini and other rice dishes.
Italy's Legislative Decree 131/2017 lists “Riso Arborio” among the traditional trade names and sets grain parameters for it: 6.6–7.2 mm long, 3.2–3.4 mm wide, a length-to-width ratio of 2.0–2.2 and a very extensive pearl. The name may be used for the Arborio variety itself or for another registered variety with the same characteristics; the word “classico” is reserved for rice from the Arborio variety with proven traceability.
The same decree repealed the older Law 325/1958 with effect from 1 September 2018 and groups rice as tondo, medio, lungo A and lungo B.