Rice: the blank canvas upon which to paint flavours
There’s a risotto I burnt years ago, during my second year of university.
I had just got my first flat all to myself, I wanted to impress my friends, and I thought: “a risotto, how hard can it be.”
Well, it turned into a greyish paste that stuck to the spoon like cement.
The risotto wasn’t the problem. It was the rice. I had bought the cheapest option, without even looking at the variety, and then I had done everything the wrong way.
Since then, I’ve understood something that will also change your approach in the kitchen: rice isn’t a neutral ingredient. It’s a canvas. And like any canvas, the quality of the support dictates how well the colours will sit on top.
Today I’m going to tell you everything I’ve learned about rice: the varieties, the science of starch, the techniques that make a difference, and, of course, my Straporito tricks.
The science inside the grain: starch is everything
Before talking about varieties, you need to understand one thing: rice is starch. Or rather, the rice grain contains two types of starch, and their balance determines everything.
The first is amylose, a linear, rigid molecule that keeps the grain intact even under heat. The second is amylopectin, a branched molecule that dissolves easily and creates the famous creaminess. Each variety has its own ratio of the two, and that ratio determines whether your risotto will be ‘all’onda’ (flowing) or as sticky as baby food.
Varieties suitable for risotto have a good percentage of amylose (which holds the grain together) but also enough amylopectin (which creates the creaminess). It’s a delicate balance. The Ente Nazionale Risi (National Rice Board), the institution that catalogues and studies Italy’s over two hundred rice varieties, publishes variety sheets with the morphological and physiological characteristics of each type for those who want to delve into the details.
Carnaroli vs Arborio: why the king is the king
It’s the question I always get asked. “Lisa, should I use Carnaroli or Arborio? What’s the real difference?”
The difference is significant.
Carnaroli is nicknamed “the king of rices” and it deserves it. It has a higher amylose content than Arborio, meaning the grain holds up better during cooking, doesn’t overcook easily, and absorbs seasonings without falling apart. It’s the rice of chefs and for challenging risottos. If you’re making a risotto you want to be perfect, use Carnaroli.
Arborio is more common, more economical, and more forgiving in a good way. It has large grains, a pleasing presence on the plate, and creates a lot of creaminess because it releases abundant amylopectin. Its limitation is that it overcooks more quickly: you have a narrower cooking window, and if you get distracted for a minute too long, it goes from al dente to mushy. It’s still an excellent rice, perfect for those new to risotto and for preparations like arancini, where that sticky consistency is even an advantage.
The Straporito trick: never rinse rice for risotto (but do rinse Basmati)
This is my favourite trick to explain, because few people know it, and it changes everything.
When cooking risotto, never rinse the rice before toasting it. Never. Not even if it looks like there’s dust on it. That surface starch you see on the grain is gold. It’s the foundation of the emulsification, the first brick of the creamy sauce that will form during cooking. If you wash it away, you’ve already compromised the result before even turning on the heat.
For Basmati, however, the exact opposite applies: you must rinse it thoroughly, at least three or four times, until the water is almost clear. You use Basmati for accompaniments or Oriental-style dishes, where you want well-separated, light grains. Excess starch would make them clump together. Rinsing is precisely to remove that surface starch.
Same rule, opposite reason. Understanding the ‘why’ makes you a better cook.
In qualitร di Affiliato Amazon potrei ricevere un guadagno dagli acquisti idonei, acquista attraverso il mio Blog per aiutarmi.
The practical guide: which rice for which dish
One of the most common mistakes in cooking is using the wrong rice. Here’s a little map to keep in mind.
For risotto, choose Carnaroli or, alternatively, Arborio or Vialone Nano (the latter is a favourite in the Veneto region, creamier and with smaller grains).
For rice salads, use Parboiled or Basmati. Parboiled rice has undergone steam pre-cooking which gelatinises the starch before drying: the result is a grain that is practically impossible to overcook, perfect for salads where you want everything nicely separated. Basmati, with its long and fragrant grains, is excellent for more aromatic salads or pairings with spices.
For desserts (rice pudding, custards, rice cakes), use varieties like Roma or Baldo, which release more starch and integrate better into sweet, dense preparations. Originario, the classic short-grain rice, is also perfect for soups and croquettes.
For sushi, the only correct rice is Originario or specific Japanese varieties (like Japonica), with a very high amylopectin content: sticky, compact grains that hold the shape of maki and don’t fall apart.
Toasting: sealing the grain before it opens to the broth
Toasting is the stage that separates a true risotto from an approximate one. It only takes a few minutes, but it’s fundamental.
What happens during toasting? The heat seals the outer surface of the grain, making it more resistant to cooking and favouring the gradual and progressive release of starch. A well-toasted grain releases starch slowly and continuously during cooking: it’s this gradualness that creates an ‘all’onda’ risotto, not a sudden burst of starch at the end.
How do you know when the toasting is right? The grain becomes translucent at the edges, makes a very light “sandy” sound when you stir it in the pan, and if you blow on it, you can feel it’s hot. It shouldn’t brown, it shouldn’t burn. At that point, if the recipe calls for it, deglaze with wine (cold, for the thermal shock that helps the grain release starch) and start adding the broth.
An important note: the broth must always be hot, almost boiling. If you add cold broth to hot rice, the thermal shock will halt the cooking and the result will be uneven.
Mantecatura (Emulsification): the finish that makes the difference
I discussed this in detail in the article on cheese in cooking, but it’s worth recalling the key concepts here as they are closely linked to rice.
Mantecatura is done off the heat, away from the flame. Add cold butter straight from the fridge (not at room temperature: the cold creates a thermal shock with the hot rice which is the basis of creaminess) and finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Then shake the pot with decisive forward and backward movements, or stir with a spoon vigorously but gently.
The goal is what is called “risotto all’onda” in cooking: when you tilt the pot, the rice should flow slowly like a wave. It shouldn’t be solid, it shouldn’t be liquid. It should move.
If the rice is too dry, add a ladleful of hot broth before mantecatura. If it’s too wet, wait a minute with the heat on, then turn it off and mantecate.
Three practical tips to stop making mistakes
Always use hot broth, never cold. It’s a mistake I see made very often: people keep the broth on the work surface at room temperature and add it ladleful by ladleful without heating anything. The result is uneven cooking. The broth should always be on the hob, lightly simmering, ready to go into the pan at the right temperature.
Don’t stir too much, but not too little either. Risotto requires attention, but it doesn’t want to be stressed. Stirring constantly and gently helps the rice release starch progressively. Stirring too much breaks the grains. Stirring too little makes the rice stick to the bottom. The right rhythm is a stir every 30-40 seconds, checking that the rice never dries out too much.
The 2-minute rest is part of the recipe. After mantecatura, cover the pot with a lid and let it rest for 2 minutes. It’s not optional. In those 2 minutes, the risotto settles, the flavours meld, and the creaminess stabilises. Serving immediately after mantecatura means serving a risotto that hasn’t reached its point of equilibrium.
In qualitร di Affiliato Amazon potrei ricevere un guadagno dagli acquisti idonei, acquista attraverso il mio Blog per aiutarmi.
And is parboiled rice bad for you?
I’ll answer that straight away because it’s a question I get asked often.
No, parboiled rice isn’t bad for you. It’s normal rice that’s been treated with high-pressure steam before drying. This process has two effects: it moves nutrients from the outer coating (which is then removed during processing) to the core of the grain, and it gelatinises the starch, making it resistant to cooking. The result is rice that’s slightly richer in B vitamins than traditional white rice, and with a lower glycaemic index.
The only limitation of parboiled rice is culinary, not nutritional: precisely because it doesn’t release starch easily, it’s not suitable for risotto. Used for what it does well (salads, side dishes, fridge meals), it’s a practical and underestimated ally.
As you can see, rice is anything but a trivial ingredient. It’s a universe of varieties, starches, and techniques that, once understood, opens doors you never knew existed.
If you want to see all this put into practice, on my site you’ll find complete recipes with Straporito risottos. I’ll be adding more soon, where you can use what you’ve learned today to bring something truly delicious to the table.
And if you have any doubts, questions, or want to tell me about your risotto disaster (we all have one), write to me: I’m here.
