Top 8 Risotto Myths

Written by Rosemary Mantini | 02 September 2009

When I was a child, no one I knew had ever heard of risotto. No great mystery why: we were the only Italian family in an Anglo-Canadian neighbourhood. If the truth were told, my own Italian-born and bred parents had never actually had risotto either. Their version of the dish was a concoction resembling pasta called riso bollito: boil water, add Arborio rice, cook until done, drain, stir in tomato sauce. As tasty as my family’s version was, there’s little about it that compares to the authentic rich and creamy delicacy. But then, they came from Abruzzo in the central part of Italy, a region known more for its pasta and crêpes than for its rice dishes.

In the 1400s, at about the time that Giovanni Caboto weighed anchor off the rocky Newfoundland coast, the first rice fields were being cultivated on the plains surrounding Venice. According to the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade, the ensuing 600 years has seen Italy become the leading rice producer in Europe, growing and exporting many types of rice, the best known of which are Arborio, Carnaroli and Vialone Nano. The last one is a mouthful, but positively worth the discomfort.

You might well ask what an article on risotto is doing in Tidings’ Canadian issue. The answer is quite simple. Really. Risotto is a perfect metaphor for all that is Canadian. Like all of us have at some time or another, it, too, comes from elsewhere. All immigrants bring with them some valuable skill that’s thrown into the mix we call Canada. Along with Ferrari, Gucci and dining al fresco, Italians brought risotto. It’s now become a standard on restaurant menus, fetching prices upwards of $20 a plate.

Canadian identity is fluid and ever changing. How dissimilar we can be at times can seem daunting. But, from the east coast to the west and all points in between, we share at least one commonality. Canadians invariably end up talking about the weather. Canada is a country where the climate at any given time of the year can range from a variety of extremes. From our two desert regions — the South Okanagan in British Columbia and the Canadian Arctic — to rugged Newfoundland and Labrador, the expansive landscape provides us with an incredible assortment of fruits, vegetables, cheese, meat and seafood. Risotto, too, is infinitely adaptable. It takes on the attributes of the land and the people who cook it. Just add to it any type of local ingredient you happen to have on hand and voilà, a new Canadian classic every time. Where else would you find risotto garnished with smoked wild Pacific salmon, accompanied by bison sausage or peppered with Oka cheese?

Tucking into hearty fare is a Canadian tradition, if not a necessity given the cold winters that grip the country for half of the year. Risotto fits the bill in every season. That’s right. Comfort food is no longer what it used to be. Create stick-to-your-ribs risotto with squash, white kidney beans or osso buco. In the summer, lighten it up by adding fresh local asparagus, basil or blueberries for a satisfying meal.

Most people eagerly order the ubiquitous rice dish when they see it on a restaurant menu, but balk at the possibility of cooking it themselves in their own kitchens. Let’s do some myth busting to prove how simple risotto is to prepare, and how well it can fit into our busy Canadian lifestyle.