Carnaroli Rice Illa de Riu - Ebro Delta 1 kg

🌾 What does Carnaroli have that other rice doesn't?

It was born in Italy in 1945, from a cross between Vialone and Lencino, and carries the name of Emiliano Carnaroli, then president of the Ente Nazionale Risi. It is grown mainly in the provinces of Pavia, Novara and Vercelli.

It has more starch than arborio and plenty of amylose, and you notice it in the pot: a longer, firmer grain that handles slow cooking without going soft.

🏡 Who is behind Illa de Riu?

A family from the Delta. Illa de Riu started in 1917 in Sant Jaume d'Enveja (Tarragona), inside the Ebro Delta Natural Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Today the third generation of the Trías del Romero family runs it.

This carnaroli comes from their own estates, from selected, unmixed seed. And they know seed: they are official seed selectors and produce certified seed.

🍚 How do you make a good risotto with this rice?

No mystery, just patience. Sweat an onion or shallot, add the unwashed rice and toast the grains for a couple of minutes until the edges turn translucent. Deglaze with white wine and add hot stock one ladle at a time.

Count on 16 to 18 minutes, depending on the heat and the stock. At the end, off the heat, add cold butter and cheese and stir hard: that is the mantecatura, what makes it creamy.

To get started

• Mushroom risotto
• Lemon risotto
• Prawn or seafood risotto
• Saffron risotto
• Seasonal vegetable risotto

⚖️ Carnaroli or arborio?

Both work for risotto, but carnaroli is more forgiving. With arborio, one minute of distraction and it overcooks. Carnaroli holds up, stays whole and keeps a firm centre.

Arborio comes out looser; carnaroli, creamier and fuller. If you make risotto often, it is the one that ends up staying in the pantry.

🥘 And beyond risotto?

It does well in dry and creamy rice dishes thanks to the firmness of the grain. For a proper paella we still reach for the Bomba Rice Molí de Rafelet; for a creamy mushroom rice or a fish stew with rice, carnaroli holds its own.

And for the base sauté, a good oil makes the difference: try the La Mundana Extra Virgin Olive Oil. To keep exploring, see the full range of Ebro Delta rices.

Carnaroli was born by the Po, but in the Delta it found its place: water, sun and three unhurried generations.