Calrose is a medium grain

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticat ...

variety, notable for being the founding variety of the California rice industry.

History

Calrose (USDA # C.I. 8988) originated from and was developed at the Rice Experiment Station near

Biggs, California Biggs (formerly, Biggs Station) is a city in Butte County, California, Butte County, California, United States. The population was 1,707 at the 2010 census, down from 1,793 at the 2000 United States Census, 2000 census. The 2018 population estima ...

, and released to California growers in 1948. It grew in popularity with growers, marketers, and consumers to become the prominent rice variety in California until the late 1970s. Specific processing and cooking properties were associated with Calrose. Over the years, improved new varieties of Calrose grain cooking and processing characteristics were released. These medium-sized grains were commingled with Calrose in storage, and later replaced the variety in commercial production, due to their superior performance at many levels. Although that variety of Calrose is no longer grown, Calrose has become a name recognized both in trade and the marketplace for the California-type, medium-grain rice. The name "rose" indicates its medium-grain shape ("Blue Rose" is an earlier medium-grain developed in Louisiana), and "Cal" pays homage to California, the state of the grain’s origin and production. Eighty percent of the California rice crop is Calrose rice.

Availability

Calrose rice is the most recognized variety of California rice in the United States and abroad, especially in the Pacific. The variety is grown in other areas of the world where growing conditions are suitable, such as Australia. After cooking, Calrose rice grains hold flavor well, and are soft and stick together, making it good for use in

sushi is a Japanese dish of prepared , usually with some sugar and salt, accompanied by a variety of , such as seafood, often raw, and vegetables. Styles of sushi and its presentation vary widely, but the one key ingredient is "sushi rice," also ...

. Calrose was once a much sought-after variety in Korea, where it was considered exotic. There was even a black market for the variety, and it was smuggled in large quantities.

Growers

The following are the top suppliers of Calrose Rice: * California Family Foods * American Commodity Company * Farmers' Rice Cooperative * Pacific International Rice Mills * Doguet's Rice Milling Company * Far West Rice * Hinode Rice * Sun Valley Rice

References

External links

California Rice Commission
{{Authority control Agriculture in California Japonica rice Rice production in the United States