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Specialty Rice: An Ancient Grain Gets a Modern Twist

Rice has been getting an extreme makeover as manufacturers, retailers, chefs and consumers are finding it to be versatile, nutritious, exotic and inspiring. The old favorite Minute Rice now has new competition in Kalijira rice that cooks in just 10 minutes. Uncle Ben’s Converted Rice is in the shadow of beautifully aromatic red rice from Bhutan. And fluffy and separate black Chinese rice joins sticky sweet black Thai rice as a popular choice.

No longer are consumers buying 5-pound bags for their pantries. Instead, they choose resealable 15-ounce bottles that display the colorful grains, with enough rice for just two meals. And they pay top dollar. Today, rice is enlivening prepared food counters, pumping up shelf-stable selections and inspiring customers to taste exotic flavors of the world. It may well be said that rice is the new pasta.

The Gaining Grain
Rice has the sex appeal that used to be reserved for couscous—exotic and tasty with an interesting range of preparations. Its popularity has increased significantly over the past decade. The changing demographics of the U.S., particularly the influx of Asians and Latinos, has altered the way we eat and what is sold on store shelves. The acceptance of ethnic foods, such as Vietnamese, Thai, Persian and Indian, adds to rice’s allure as well.

Nutrition also comes into play. Rice is incredibly digestible; a complex carbohydrate that is fat-free, sodium-free, gluten-free, non-allergenic, cholesterol-free and a good source of vitamins and minerals. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines, released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), state that “rice is a nutrient-rich complex carbohydrate that fits well in today’s recommendation to get the most nutrition out of your calories.

Rice also fits the recommendation to limit intake of fats, sugar, cholesterol and salt. “We’ve seen a lot of movement in organic brown rice since the new dietary guidelines were announced. Brown rice is more appealing than whole wheat pasta and is a good option nutritionally, says Phil Myers, merchandising director of Hanover Consumer Cooperative Society in Hanover, N.H.

Rice flour has become a favored item for those interested in gluten-free products, such as breads, muffins and pancakes. Lotus Foods of El Cerrito, Calif., introduced a rainbow of colors, augmenting the typical brown and white types available, by using its Chinese Forbidden Black Rice, Bhutanese Red Rice and Roasted Kaipen to create a palate of pink, purple and green flours. “Chefs use them as dusting powders, and they caramelize and impart a beautiful taste and color, notes Owner Caryl Levine.

Everywhere But Antarctica
Rice is grown on every continent except Antarctica. Most of the world’s rice is produced in India, China, Japan and the U.S., specifically in Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas. According to the USA Rice Federation, two-thirds of U.S. consumers eat rice once a week, 85 percent have rice at least twice a month, and 90 percent are eating rice in restaurants, up from 75 percent in 1992. Rice consumption has more than doubled over the past two decades, with American consumers eating approximately 26 pounds per person annually. “In the past five years, we’ve seen an increase in the popularity of rice, so we’ve looked at the ethnic regions and become more inclusive with our selection, says Myers.

According to USDA, growth in rice consumption will continue throughout the next decade. Says Levine, “When we introduced our rices in 1995, no one had heard of black rice from China. It’s been a ten-year education process, but we’ve identified the world’s best heirloom varieties—those that have been grown for centuries—-and put them on the map.

Tom Knibbs, owner of Urban Accents in Chicago, introduced four exotic varieties of rice at the 2004 Summer Fancy Food Show in New York and “it was just sell, sell, sell, he says, “particularly the black and red versions. A reclosable clear bottle helps to sell the colorful product.

According to Aziz Osmani, an owner of New York City’s Kalyustan’s, which carries 36 varieties of rice, “The biggest sellers right now are Chinese black rice and Thai black sweet rice, andthe more common but big sellers are basmati and Arborio.

Arborio, the medium-grain rice traditionally used in risotto, is facing competition from Carnaroli. Spruce Foods in San Clemente, Calif., has been the sole importer of Acquerello Carnaroli Rice since 2002. Only a limited supply is available each year because it’s estate-grown and aged for more than a year. “Acquerello is an example of ‘if you make it, they will come,’ a product-driven rather than customer-driven decision, says Hannah Miller Lerman, marketing manager, Spruce Foods. “We learned how chefs adored it and decided to introduce customers to a product that they didn’teven know they needed yet. Whole Foods Markets carries it nationwide and has awarded the rice its coveted AFA (Authentic Food Artisans) label, signifying the producer’s commitment to traditional craftsmanship.

Rick Long of RiceSelect in Alvin, Tex., took the concept of convenience and amped it up in quality with the Chef’s Originals line, specialty rice dishes from the kitchens of three well-known chefs: Paul Prudhomme from New Orleans; Mark Miller from the Coyote Cafe in Santa Fe; and Sam Choy from Hawaii. Since 1996, they have introduced 11 items, most recently a line of risotto by Chef Paul Prudhomme, all strong sellers. “We’re offering quality and convenience and consumers eat it up, says Long, vice president of marketing. How couldn't they when each box retails for $2.49 and serves four. Long adds, “If they weren’t so good, they would serve six.

Levine believes education is a prime way to influence consumers. “We create a rice bar—like a line tasting—going from white to red to black. It’s important for people to taste the rice by itself to discover the taste, texture, color and nutritional value. Then we'll offer it as a three-grain pilaf and provide a recipe.

“But the most effective tasting in a retail environment is by creating a prepared foods dish, like a salad, with a sign that says Lotus Foods Forbidden Rice Pilaf. Customers eat it in the deli and can go find it on the shelf and make it at home.

“People are comfortable paying a premium for exotic rices because they put them in a different category than a staple. It’s more like a nice pasta, says Hanover Co-op’s Myers.

Sustenance and Substance
Kalyustan’s Osmani says, “Here in America, rice is not a daily meal, whereas Asian families are eating rice three times a day. Americans have no problem paying $10 for 1 pound of rice as they’ll only make one or two rice recipes a month.

In many parts of the world though, rice is a staple, not a specialty. “Rice is a deep part of my roots, says Nirmala Narine, owner of Nirmala's Kitchen, Long Island City, N.Y. She remembers as a young girl in Guyana, South America, going to the rice fields with her parents where “we would take the seeds that we fermented at home and throw them in the rice water. Once they sprouted, the back breaking work would begin. Even though she was wading through waist-deep water with baby anaconda snakes at her feet, she has fond memories of cultivating rice. “We dried the rice, took it to the mills and sold it. We did whatever was possible with it, she recalls.

Fast forward to the present. Narine has spent the past two years creating a sophisticated line of rices, ranging from Kerala Rosematta Spiced Rice, Carnaroli Risotto with Truffles, Jasmine Saffron Rice and China Bamboo Rice. She is not alone in her quest to broaden rice’s appeal. Offering simple, upscale options for delicious rice dishes isn’t the only benefit of rice’s rising popularity in America. Selling rice means supporting environmental and global farming sustainability.

Narine travels to exotic lands alone, hires a driver and goes into villages to explore. “I walk around and meet people to experience their culture, she says. Aside from finding handcrafted items, like the banana leaves from India she uses for her labels, she gets satisfaction from giving business to impoverished local villages.

Levine of Lotus Foods adds, “ Our mission is to keep the farmers from going extinct. This way they don’t need to cultivate hybrids and can continue to do what they’ve been doing for generations. Lotus Foods is the sole importer of Bhutanese Red Rice and was the first to bring in Forbidden Black Rice from China. “We trademarked the word ‘Forbidden’ so that we could protect the authenticity of the rice. This way, a customer is guaranteed of its origin. Otherwise, there are too many rices labeled as China Black Rice that are actually sticky Thai rice, she explains.

The origin and authenticity of food is becoming increasingly significant to American consumers. The California rice industry has launched a new origin mark, to identify premium rice varieties from California. Wildlife sustainability is also supported by the California rice industry, as millions of ducks, geese, shorebirds and other wildlife depend on the wetlands created by the state’s rice fields for survival.

Ageless, Endless Rice
Rice’s ancient role adds to its appeal. It has sustained people all over the world for ages, and, according to archeological evidence, has been feeding two-thirds of the world’s population for more than 5,000 years. It is still part of important rituals, from births to deaths to marriages. It not only offers a delicious nutritional option, it’s a comforting food that has endless opportunities to satisfy hungry customers.

Rice’s timelessness is put most eloquently by Roy Hamilton, curator of the traveling art exhibit The Art of Rice: Spirit and Sustenance in Asia, who wrote, “Rice indeed sustains those who eat it, in a purely metabolic sense, whether in Asia or elsewhere. But many in Asia feel that rice is a divinely given food that nourishes them in a way that no other food can. Their bodies, they feel, are essentially composed of this sacred grain. Sustenance, then, is not used merely in a nutritional sense but may also be understood as constitutional and even spiritual.

Denise Shoukas is a contributing editor to Specialty Food Magazine and communications director of the NASFT.