Dictionary:

arborio rice

  (âr-bôr'ē-ō, -bōr'-)

A rounded, medium-grain rice from Italy that is both firm and creamy when cooked.

[After Arborio, town in the Po valley in Italy where the rice is grown.]

[ar-BOH-ree-oh] The high-starch kernels of this Italian-grown grain are shorter and fatter than any other short-grain rice. Arborio is traditionally used for risotto because its increased starch lends this classic dish its requisite creamy texture. See also rice.

Arborio rice grains

Arborio rice is an Italian medium-grain rice. It is named after the town of Arborio in the Po Valley, where it is grown. Cooked, the rounded grains are firm and creamy due to the high starch content of this rice variety. They are the traditional rice in risotto.

Botanically speaking, Arborio is a cultivar of the japonica subspecies of Oryza sativa.

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