Rethinking Risotto 🤔

+ 3 Italian risotto recipes from the Tenuta San Carlo (Maremma, Tuscany) online cookbook

What is risotto and how did it become a classic Italian dish?

Risotto is a quintessential Italian rice dish known for its creamy texture achieved by cooking and stirring rice with broth. It has humble beginnings in northern Italy, particularly Lombardy, where the marshy lands of the Po Valley were ideal for rice cultivation. Initially flavored with saffron for both taste and color, risotto has evolved into a versatile dish featuring various ingredients such as butter, onions, wine, and Parmesan cheese.

Historically, rice cultivation in Italy dates back centuries, with southern regions cultivating rice before it gradually spread northward. The introduction of rice to northern Italy, particularly the Po Valley, fueled the popularity of risotto among the city-states and elites of Milan, Venice, and Genoa. It became a staple dish, especially in Milan, where Risotto alla Milanese, flavored with saffron, emerged as a signature recipe.

There are now five or six rice growers in the Tuscan Maremma marshland area, and Tenuta San Carlo stands out among them as fully organic and sustainable.

This week’s podcast episode featured an interview with Ariane Lotti, owner of the Tenuta San Carlo farm - listen here now:

The evolution of risotto continued over the centuries, with the 18th-century recipe resembling modern versions more closely, emphasizing the gradual addition of broth to achieve a creamy consistency. Today, risotto remains a beloved dish, celebrated for its simplicity, elegance, and adaptability to various ingredients and flavor profiles.