Riso del Delta del Po Igp
A few decades after rice growing spread through the Padana plain (1450), the first documentation of rice cultivation in Polesine appear, in particular in the Po Delta area. This crop was closely tied to the reclaiming of land, inasmuch as it was possible to accellerate the process of utilizing salt rich lands destined for crop rotation. Evidence of this is found in a 1594 law of the Venetian Republic. Toward the end of the 1700s, thanks to some members of the Venetian nobility, systematic rice growing began in the reclaimed lands. Today this rice - Riso del delta del Po- is grown in approximately 9000 hectares of rice fields. The influence of this crop can be found in the local culture and in the social development of the area.
Consumption
This rice is suitable for soups, the typical local risottos of the area, salads and desserts, and has a cooking time of from 12 to 16 minutes. In order to keep the rice from sticking together in the salad recipes, a few drops of lemon should be added to the cooking water. During the cooking, the rice can absorb four times the volume of water with respect to the rice grain. To calculate quantities, approximately 100 grams per person should be used for risottos, salads and desserts; 70 grams for side dishes; 50 grams for soups in broth.
Identification
It is mandatory to display on the packaging, the denomination logo and the wording “Riso del Delta del Po” followed by “Indicazione Geografica Protetta” or in the form of the acronym “I.G.P..” The variety of rice must be indicated on the package (Arborio, Carnaroli, Volano, Baldo). The same package must bear the name or company details and address of the packager. The official logo for the product “Riso del Delta del Po” is made up of an elliptical white strip, bordered in green. Inside the strip, on a green background, to the right and left, are typical figures of the Po Delta (stylized swamp reeds and birds) in a cream colour. At the center, there is a stylized woman with a bundle of rice in the colour yellow.
I.D. card
- Type
- Rice belonging to the type “Japonica’, the group Superfino, in the varieties Carnaroli, Volano, Baldo and Arborio.
- Description
- The rice “Riso del Delta del Po” has a large, clear, compact grain, and a high level of protein. It can be either white or brown. Its great capacity for absorption, its minimal loss of starch, and its good resistance during cooking, all make up its organoleptic characteristics, such as its aroma and flavour, and make it the preferred rice for highly prized risottos.
- Characteristics
- The special qualities of this rice “Riso del Delta del Po,” related to its high level of protein, the size of its grain, its great capacity for absorption, its minimal loss of starch and its high quality, determine its good resistance during cooking. It also has a particular flavour and aroma that distinguishes it from rice produced in lands that are not rich in salts.
- Area of production
- The typical growing area for the rice “Riso del Delta del Po” extends from the far eastern cone of the Padana plain between the Veneto and Emilia Romagna regions, into the territories formed by the rubble and sediment brought with the waters of the river Po. The area is delimited to the east by the Adriatic Sea, to the north by the Adige River, and to the south by the navigable Ferrara/Porto Garibaldi Canal. The rice “Riso del Delta del Po” is grown in Veneto in the Province of Rovigo, in the municipalities of Ariano nel Polesine, Porto Viro, Taglio di Po, Porto Tolle, Corbola, Papozze, Rosolina and Loreo. In Emilia Romagna, the rice is grown in the Province of Ferrara, the municipalities of Comacchio, Goro, Codigoro, Lagosanto, Massa Fiscaglia, Migliaro, Migliarino, Ostellato, Mesola, Jolanda di Savoia and Berra.
- Selling period
- All year round.
- Normative references
- On the date of November 11, 2009, in the European Union Official Journal L 294, the Regulation (EC) number 1078 was published.
