Rice is the essence of risotto. Traditional Taiwanese white rice is soft and fluffy, a significant difference in texture compared to risotto rice, which retains its shape even after cooking and retains its firmness even after absorbing liquid. The Hualien Agricultural Research and Development Center announced on the 23rd that it has developed "Hualien No. 26," the first local rice suitable for risotto. This rice, designed to meet Taiwan's annual import demand for over 100 tons of risotto rice from Italy, is expected to significantly reduce food miles by 98%. Three manufacturers have been authorized to mass-produce risotto rice under contract.
The first local rice for stewing rice: "Hualien No. 26"
The Hualien Agricultural Research and Development Center spent seven years developing the first local rice variety suitable for risotto, "Hualien No. 26." Risotto is renowned for its richness and al dente texture, the key to a rich, chewy texture. The rice grains must be able to absorb the broth without becoming overcooked. Authentic risotto is typically made with rice imported from Italy.
The Hualien Agricultural Research and Development Center spent seven years developing the first local rice variety suitable for risotto, "Hualien No. 26." Risotto is renowned for its richness and al dente texture, the key to a rich, chewy texture. The rice grains must be able to absorb the broth without becoming overcooked. Authentic risotto is typically made with rice imported from Italy.
Since 2016, the Hualien Agricultural Research and Development Center has used the Italian risotto rice variety "Vialone nano" as the female parent and hybridized it with Taiwan's "Taitung No. 30", which is resistant to rice blast and has stable yield. It took seven years to carry out selection, mass production trials, regional trials, and pest and disease inspections, and passed the new crop variety review last year (2023).
Huang Jiaxing said that it takes more than 15,000 kilometers for risotto rice to be transported from Italy to Keelung Port. Taiwan has imported 100 to 200 tons of it every year in the past decade. If local risotto rice is used instead, the food mileage will be reduced to 278 kilometers, less than 2%.
With a smooth core and a unique aroma, local rice is superior for stewing rice.
Wu Minzhong, manager of Xieyi Co., Ltd., which imports Italian food ingredients, pointed out that Italian risotto rice often has a "floury feeling" in the center, indicating that the rice is not cooked properly, and the aroma is not obvious, which makes it less palatable to Taiwanese people. However, the rice of "Hualien No. 26" is not floury in the center, remains chewy even after long cooking, and has a unique aroma. It is considered "delicious risotto rice" both in China and abroad.
Wu Minzhong said that in the future, in addition to meeting the domestic demand for risotto, he also hopes to promote it to neighboring countries such as Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong, and then enter Europe.
Cooking rice differs from the Taiwanese practice of braising and steaming. At the press conference, Farglory Hotel's Western cuisine chef, Huang Qiwei, demonstrated the cooking technique, emphasizing that the secret to delicious rice is to stir-fry the rice directly without washing it. While cooking, gradually add broth and white wine to the rice, allowing it to gelatinize and absorb the broth.
Huang Qiwei said that he had recently compared "Hualien No. 26" with three other types of foreign stewed rice and found that the local variety has strong water absorption and can absorb the sauce while maintaining a complete shape and a chewy rice core. It also emits a unique aroma during the chewing process, adding different layers to the stewed rice.
"Hualien No. 26" yields approximately 4,500 to 5,500 kilograms per hectare. Yang Daji stated that while the second crop yields less, it has a higher amylose content. A small area of this variety was planted last year and supplied to some restaurants, but demand currently exceeds supply. The technology has been transferred to two Western food suppliers, Xie Yi and Lian Cai, as well as the local Fuli Township Farmers' Association. The companies will collaborate with the farmers on a contract farming basis.
According to a Central News Agency report, Zhang Suhua, Secretary-General of the Fuli Farmers Association, said that people who want to buy can wait until the mass harvest at the end of the year and contact the Fuli Farmers Association.
Source: Environmental Information Centre
