Top 19 Western European Japonica Rice

Acquerello is a renowned Italian rice producer based in Livorno Ferraris, Piedmont, known for its commitment to quality and tradition. Established in 1991 by Piero Rondolino, Acquerello operates from Tenuta Colombara, a historic estate in Italy's prime rice-growing region. The company specializes in Carnaroli rice, often called the king of rices, valued for its superior texture and versatility in cooking. What sets Acquerello apart is its unique aging process - rice is stored in refrigerated silos for at least one year, enhancing starch stability and enriching its flavor. Their innovative processing method preserves more nutrients than conventional rice while maintaining grain integrity. Favored by top chefs worldwide, Acquerello rice is packaged in vacuum-sealed tins to ensure freshness and extend shelf life. The company is also dedicated to sustainability, implementing environmentally responsible farming practices. Beyond production, the Tenuta Colombara estate holds historical significance in Italian rice cultivation, serving as both a functional farm and a cultural heritage site. Expand

Riserva San Massimo is a nature reserve and agricultural estate spanning over 600 hectares in the municipality of Gropello Cairoli, in the province of Pavia, Lombardy, Italy. Within the reserve, 200 hectares are dedicated to the cultivation of high-quality rice, particularly the Carnaroli variety, which is grown exclusively from 100% certified pure seeds. At Riserva San Massimo, rice cultivation is not treated as an industrial process but rather as a form of artisan, sustainable agriculture that respects the natural cycles and biodiversity of the region. The entire production process is carried out by hand: from manual harvesting, to low-temperature drying, to careful packaging, all with the goal of preserving the rice's organoleptic properties. The objective of this meticulous approach is to produce rice with the perfect balance of firmness and creaminess - qualities that are essential for making a perfect risotto. The grains are harvested by hand to ensure they remain in optimal condition, followed by gentle drying at low temperatures to maintain the rice's natural structure and starch content. Thanks to this dedication to quality and tradition, Carnaroli rice from Riserva San Massimo is used in numerous fine-dining restaurants across Italy and around the world. It is especially appreciated by top chefs for its reliability, consistency, and exceptional culinary performance.Expand

Società Agricola La Fagiana is a family-run farm located in the Venetian plain, specializing in the cultivation and processing of rice, particularly the prestigious Carnaroli variety, one of the most valued in Italian cuisine. Production takes place across roughly 150 hectares using a combination of traditional rice-growing practices and modern principles of sustainable water and soil management. After harvesting, the grains are stored in refrigerated chambers without chemical treatments to preserve their natural texture and aroma. Beyond rice, La Fagiana has developed a broader product range that includes rice flour, rice cakes, risotto mixes, pasta, fruit juices, local wines, and craft beers, creating a small but complete agricultural–gastronomic ecosystem. The farm also organizes guided tours and tastings, allowing visitors to learn about rice cultivation, local biodiversity, and the philosophy of sustainable production. The brand is recognized for its transparency, quality, and strong connection to the cultural and agricultural identity of the Venetian landscape.Expand

Sivaris is a family-owned Spanish company specializing in the production of high-quality rice, based in Valencia. Founded in 2006, the Sivaris brand continues a multigenerational tradition of rice cultivation in protected natural reserves such as the Parque Natural de la Albufera in Valencia and the Marjal de Pego-Oliva in Alicante. These areas, rich in biodiversity and unique climatic conditions, provide ideal environments for rice farming. Sivaris stands out by controlling the entire production process - from seed to packaging - ensuring superior quality and authenticity of its products. The company offers a variety of rice types, but is particularly renowned for its Bomba rice, known for its ability to absorb large amounts of liquid without losing its shape, making it ideal for preparing paella.Expand

Canavere is a family-owned company specializing in the production of high-quality rice with Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) certification. The history of Canavere began in the early 20th century when Paul Benoît purchased the Canavere estate, which dates back to the year 1500. His son Louis continued the family tradition, and in 1993, Jean-Louis Benoît established the Canavere brand to promote authentic Camargue rice. Canavere offers a wide range of rice varieties, including red, black, white, whole grain, round, and long-grain rice, as well as specialties such as risotto rice and aromatic rice. All products are 100% natural, gluten-free, and grown in accordance with the principles of sustainable agriculture.Expand

Matiz Foods is a company dedicated to bringing authentic Spanish delicacies to the global market. Specializing in gourmet, artisanal products, Matiz partners with small-scale producers, particularly in regions like Galicia, renowned for its rich seafood heritage. The company offers a wide range of premium items, including tinned seafood, olive oils, and other traditional Spanish foods, all crafted using time-honored methods. Committed to sustainability, fair sourcing, and the preservation of culinary traditions, Matiz Foods ensures that their products are not only delicious but also contribute to the support of local communities. With a focus on quality over quantity, Matiz brings the authentic taste of Spain to food lovers around the world, offering a true Mediterranean experience rooted in cultural respect and environmental responsibility. In addition to seafood and oils, Matiz Foods also produces premium Spanish rice, most notably Matiz Bomba Rice. This variety is grown in the L’Albufera natural reserve near Valencia and is ideal for preparing paella. Known for its remarkable ability to absorb flavors while maintaining a firm texture, Bomba rice ensures a truly authentic and flavorful Spanish dish every time.Expand

Riseria Ferron is one of the oldest and most respected rice mills in Italy, located in Isola della Scala, in the heart of the Veneto region. Founded in 1650, this family-owned company is now led by the Ferron brothers, the fifth generation of rice producers. Ferron is known for its traditional and sustainable cultivation of premium rice varieties such as Vialone Nano and Carnaroli, both especially prized for making authentic Italian risotto. The Ferron rice mill still uses the historic "Pila Vecia" mill, operating without industrial chemicals and irrigated solely with pure spring water. This eco-conscious approach - free from pesticides and focused on biodiversity - enabled the Vialone Nano rice to receive the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status in 1996, making it one of the few European rice varieties with this distinction. Blending tradition and innovation, Ferron also runs the “Risotteria Ferron” restaurant in Peschiera del Garda, where guests can experience creative dishes centered around their top-quality rice. Thanks to its dedication to quality and sustainability, Ferron has become a symbol of excellence, with its products available in specialty shops and fine restaurants around the world.Expand

Arborio is an Italian rice variety that's mostly used for risottos and rice puddings. The short, rounded grains are firm and have a high content of starch, resulting in creamy textures of dishes that the rice is used in. Because of its characteristics, Arborio is almost double the price of regular long-grain rice. This rice variety was named after the eponymous town in the Po Valley. It should be cooked al dente, while still slightly firm to the bite, and never washed or rinsed as it will lose the starchy coating that creates the creamy and slightly chewy texture once cooked. Apart from risottos and rice puddings, Arborio is sometimes used as an ingredient in arancini or minestrone soup.Expand

This Portuguese varietal of rice is fine and tender with a velvety soft texture, and it is especially good at absorbing the flavors and aromas of ingredients it is cooked with. This rice is grown in Salvaterra de Magos outside Lisbon, an area known for its mild, Mediterranean climate. The weather and soil conditions contribute to a rice with a firmer structure that is less likely to break or disintegrate while cooking. This glutenous rice also gives dishes it is cooked with a smooth and creamy texture.Expand

Bomba is a Spanish variety of rice characterized by a short grain. The rice has a high content of amylose and a pearly white color of the grain. What distinguishes Bomba from most of the other varieties is that it can absorb two or three times its volume in water. It will not burst, but hold its structure when cooked, expanding in width rather than in length, forming round bombs in the process. Bomba takes a long time to mature, and it has been harvested since the 14th century. Nowadays, it's mostly grown in wetlands south of Valencia. This rice variety is traditionally used for paella and similar Spanish rice dishes. When cooked, the grains separate and never become mushy or sticky.Expand

Carnaroli is an Italian rice variety that's mostly used for the preparation of risotto. It's characterized by a short grain, smaller than the one of Arborio rice, and a high starch content. As a result, Carnaroli rice can absorb liquids without becoming overcooked, creating the creamy texture that's a characteristic of great risottos. It's grown in the Novara, Vercelli, and Pavia provinces. The rice variety was discovered by Emiliano Carnaroli as a cross between Lencino and Vialone Nano varieties, hence the name. Interestingly, Carnaroli rice is often hailed as the 'caviar' or 'king' of Italian rice.Expand

Baldo rice is a white rice variety grown exclusively in Italy and Türkiye. It is a relatively new variety, first cultivated in 1977 in the Italian Po valley as a hybrid of stirpe 136 rice and arborio rice. Baldo rice soon became known as the "king of rice" thanks to its exquisite qualities, and it found its way to Türkiye, where it is considered the finest quality rice. Depending on the variety, Baldo rice can come in a long, medium, and short-grain format, although short-grain is most known and used. It has a buttery aroma and a distinct but not overpowering taste, with pronounced starchiness (Turkish varieties tend to be starchier than the Italian). When cooked, this rice retains its compact shape and chewiness, which makes it a perfect choice for risottos, pilafs, and paellas.Expand

Arroz de Valencia is white or brown rice of the Senia, Bahia, Bomba, J. Sendra, Montsianell, Gleva, Sarçet, or Albufera variety. The varieties range in their properties; from the smooth and creamy Senia to the loose and firm Bomba. It is grown in wetlands in Provinces of Alicante, Castellón, and Valencia in the autonomous community of Valencia. All levels of production and the final product itself are strictly regulated. Arroz de Valencia is sold packaged with a numbered label that can be traced back to the producer and the detailed area of cultivation, ensuring the superior quality of this rice.Expand

Riz de Camargue refers to the different varieties of rice originating from the Camargue region in France - full and brown rice, white rice, non-stick rice, pre-cooked rice and mixed rice, among others. The rice is cultivated in the area since the 19th century, and while the climate is restrictive and makes cultivation difficult, it also provides grains of great quality and delicate taste. The soil, salty subsoil and the dry, hot climate make the rice a basic crop of the Camargue area. Brown rice is the one that has the highest nutritional value in its husk - vitamins, minerals, amino acids and fibre, while round-grained white rice is the one that is most commonly used - in desserts mixed with milk, or in risottos, making it creamy due to the starch content in the rice.Expand

Arroz del Delta del Ebro is white or brown rice categorized as 'extra', of the Bahía, Tebre, Sénia, Fonsa, Bomba and Montsianell varieties The varieties range in their properties; from Senia, which is smooth and creamy when cooked, to Bomb, which is loose and firm. It is grown in the wetlands covering the area of Ebro Delta, in the Province of Tarragona. All levels of production and the final product itself are strictly regulated. Arroz del Delta del Ebro is sold packaged with a numbered label that can be traced back to the producer and detailed area of cultivation ensuring the superior quality of this rice. Expand

Produced within the provinces of Rovigo and Ferrara, in the neighboring regions of Veneto and Emilia Romagna, Riso del Delta del Po refers to rice of the Japonica type grown in the fertile Po Delta plains. Due to specific pedoclimatic conditions and high levels of salinity in that area, each of the Po Delta rice varieties attains a unique flavor and aroma. While Carnaroli rice is especially recommended for fine risottos, soups and even desserts, Arborio, Baldo and Volano varieties are excellent for timballo casseroles and arancini or supplì rice balls. To preserve its nutritional values, Riso del Delta del Po is stored in a controlled atmosphere and marketed in vacuum-sealed packages.Expand

Cultivated in the fertile, water-rich lowlands of the Verona province in northern Italy, Vialone Nano is a short, plump variety of rice revered as the foundation of some of Italy’s finest risotti. Unlike the more globally recognized Arborio, Vialone Nano possesses a unique ability to absorb liquid and flavor while maintaining a firm, slightly toothsome core, an essential quality in the art of risotto-making. Officially recognized under the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) label as Riso Nano Vialone Veronese, this rice is intrinsically linked to the province of Verona, where its cultivation is deeply embedded in agricultural tradition, culinary identity, and regional pride. Developed in the early 20th century through a cross between Vialone and Nano varieties, it is a product of both innovation and climate: a rice bred for texture and yield, thriving in the clay-heavy soils and abundant spring water of the Po Valley. Its round, pearl-like grains are slightly smaller than those of Arborio, but their high starch content results in an exceptionally creamy risotto without the need for added cream. In Verona’s trattorias and family kitchens, Vialone Nano is the rice of choice not only for its technical performance but for the specific mouthfeel and balance it brings to traditional dishes, especially the celebrated risotto all’Amarone and risotto al tastasal, both of which draw on deeply local ingredients like Amarone della Valpolicella wine and spiced pork sausage paste.mThe rice is sown and harvested with respect for historical practices, often rotated with crops like maize to preserve the soil’s vitality. Its IGP status protects not just a product, but a method and a landscape: the meticulous irrigation channels, the rhythm of seasonal labor, the recipes handed down through generations. In the world of Italian gastronomy, where regional identity defines the plate, Vialone Nano occupies a place of quiet authority. It is not flamboyant, not exported in mass quantities, and rarely marketed outside Italy with fanfare. Yet for chefs, purists, and risotto lovers who understand the nuances of grain structure and absorption, it remains one of the most esteemed varieties in the Italian culinary canon.Expand