In this guide
Rice is 70% of a risotto. You can have the best broth, Sardinian DOP saffron, clarified Normandy butter — but if you get the grain wrong, the dish will never be a real risotto. It will be rice with sauce.
This guide explains, plainly and without marketing fluff, what to choose and why. No brand worship, no urban myths.
The 4 characteristics that make the difference
Before talking varieties, you need to understand what makes a rice "for risotto." Four things really matter:
1. Grain shape and size
Risotto rices are superfine (6.4–6.7 mm long) or semifine (5.2–6.4 mm). They have an elongated or round shape. Grains that are too short — like soup rice — release too much starch and turn into porridge. Grains that are too long and slender — basmati, jasmine — stay loose and don't bind.
2. Amylose content
Rice starch is made of two molecules: amylose (rigid) and amylopectin (creamy). Risotto rices have 17–22% amylose: enough to keep the grain firm, little enough to release the creaminess that holds everything together. More amylose = more bite. Less amylose = more creaminess.
3. Cooking tenacity
A risotto rice must hold up to 16–18 minutes of cooking without splitting or overcooking. Carnaroli and Vialone Nano are best here. Arborio tends to break after 17 minutes — it works but requires attention.
4. Ability to manteca
"Mantecare" means creating the final cream at the end of cooking. You need grains that release soft starch without breaking. Carnaroli is unbeatable for this.
The 4 main Italian varieties
Carnaroli — the king of risotto
Grown mainly around Pavia (Lomellina) and Vercellese, Carnaroli is considered the best rice in the world for risotto. It's superfine, has high amylose (22%) and exceptional cooking hold.
It forgives the beginner: cook it 2 minutes too long, it still won't break. It mantecas on its own thanks to the gradual starch release.
Use it for: complex, restaurant-level risottos with long mantecaturas.
Average price: €5–7/kg (Acquerello or Riserva San Massimo reach €12/kg but cook superbly).
Arborio — the popular one
The best-selling rice in Italy and abroad. Large round grain, lots of starch. Gives very creamy risottos but has lower cooking hold than Carnaroli: cook it 1 minute too long, it splits.
Perfect for beginners who want easy creaminess. Also cheaper.
Use it for: traditional home-style risottos where creaminess is the star.
Average price: €3–4/kg.
Vialone Nano — the Venetian
The rice favoured by Venetians for their "all'onda" risottos (looser, more flowing). Small round semifine grain, absorbs less liquid than others, has excellent cooking hold. Cooks in 15 minutes (faster than Carnaroli).
It's also one of the few Italian rices with IGP status (Vialone Nano Veronese), a guarantee of origin and traceability.
Use it for: fish risottos, "all'onda" risottos, risi e bisi, baccalà.
Average price: €4–6/kg.
Baldo — the versatile
Superfine, long and crystalline. It's an Arborio hybrid: similar characteristics, better cooking hold. Little known outside Italy, but at home many prefer it for the price-to-quality ratio.
Use it for: timbales, sartù, drier risottos.
Average price: €3–4/kg.
The rice of the world (and why they aren't for risotto)
In short
Basmati, Jasmine, Koshihikari are great rices — but not for risotto. They have too little amylose or the wrong starch profile. Use them for what they were born for.
Bomba (Spain)
The Valencian rice of paella. Absorbs up to three times its volume in liquid without breaking. Exceptional hold but it doesn't manteca: it's for dry cooks (paella), not creamy ones (risotto).
Basmati (India / Pakistan)
Long, fragrant grain, high amylose. The grains stay separate after cooking. Perfect for pilaf, biryani and accompanying curry. For risotto: no.
Jasmine (Thailand)
Aromatic rice of Southeast Asia. Jasmine scent, but releases too much starch the wrong way. For risotto: no.
Koshihikari (Japan)
The sushi and onigiri rice. Short, pearly, sweet grain. Releases tons of amylopectin: the grains stick to each other. Perfect for sushi. For risotto: it's glue.
How to recognise quality rice at the shop
Three things to look for on the package:
- Origin: look for "100% Italian rice" or, better, the growing area (Lomellina, Vercellese, Veronese). Mistrust "EU blends."
- Harvest year: the best brands (Acquerello, Cascina Veneria, Riserva San Massimo) indicate it. Rice aged 12–24 months (silo-stored) has superior cooking hold compared to fresh-harvest rice.
- DOP/IGP marks: in Italy we have Riso di Baraggia Biellese e Vercellese DOP, Vialone Nano Veronese IGP. They're guarantees of origin.
Pro tip: aged rice
Acquerello and the big names offer "aged" rice — 12 to 24 months. Costs double. Is it worth it? Yes, if you care about technique. Aged rice has drier, harder grains that absorb broth better and hold cooking longer. For a refined fish risotto it makes the difference.
How much rice per person
Rule of thumb: 80 grams per person for a primo at lunch. 60 grams if a substantial main follows. 100 grams if it's a single dish (e.g. ossobuco with saffron risotto).
For broth: 3 times the weight of the rice. So 320g of rice = about 1 litre of broth (slightly less in practice, but better to have spare).
Conclusion: the best rice for every occasion
To sum up:
- Learning → Arborio (forgives less but cheap)
- Making something important → Carnaroli (undisputed king)
- Fish or "all'onda" risotto → Vialone Nano
- Want to experiment → Acquerello or Cascina Veneria (Carnaroli aged 12–24 months)
Once you've chosen the rice, the rest is technique: toasting, deglazing, hot broth, ladle, mantecatura off the heat. All 70 recipes on this site follow the same method. Start with a simple one (the Parmigiano Risotto) and work up to the complex ones.
Good rice and good fire.