Aromatic Apollo Rice from Principato di Lucedio

Fragrant Single-Estate Rice from Northern Italy

Apollo is an aromatic variety of long-grain rice with a delicate floral perfume similar to Basmati. Grown in the fertile Po Valley, Principato di Lucedio's rice fields are sustained by icy alpine waters. The fields are harvested in the early autumn and the rice is left to dry in ancient barns for two months in which the grains are kept in the husk and milled to order.

How to Use

Cook this rice just as you would pasta—no need to measure the perfect ratio of water—to achieve a steaming pot of plump, fluffy rice in just 10-11 minutes. Serve as a side next to any hearty main, like grilled fish or roasted chicken. Or, enjoy this rice pilaf-style with seasonal mix-ins, like English peas and sautéed spring onion with toasted Italian pine nuts from Pariani for some crunch.

Looking for more from Principato di Lucedio? Try their Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms and other rice products.

About the producer

When Napoleon Bonaparte was ceded the Lucedio Estate in 1807, it's hard to imagine he intended to spend the time and effort that its future owner, Count Paolo Cavalli d'Olivola, would spend to grow Italy's finest rice. In 1937, the Count bought the estate, increasing the property to over 400 hectares of rice fields, creating Italy’s largest rice estate. Today, his daughter, Countess Rosetta Clara Cavalli d’Olivola, oversees the restoration of the estate and the farming of the rice fields with zealousness and utmost care.

Harvested in the late summer and early fall, the rices of Principato de Lucedio are stored, with the husk and bran intact, until the last possible minute before milling and packing. The attention to detail on the Lucedio Esate has allowed them to maintain the quality which has made the estate so famous. The superfino rices are superior for classic risotto preparations.