ONTARIO, CANADA-- As COVID-19 continues to restrict foodservice options for Canadians and families are homebound, rice remains an important pantry staple, and consumers are stocking up. Rice is holding a regular spot at the dinner table, with nearly half of rice consumers claiming they are cooking more often since the start of the pandemic, according to a recent survey conducted by USA Rice.
Consumers appreciate rice’s versatility, with 58 percent of Canadians agreeing it can be cooked and served in different ways. However, 75 percent of Canadians claim they use rice commonly as a side dish.
“Rice has long served as a sidekick, so USA Rice promotions work to remind consumers this small but mighty grain has many uses,” said Asiha Grigsby, USA Rice director of international promotions.
In 2020, USA Rice promotions encouraged Canadians to
Think Rice 5 Days and 5 Ways. Sixty-seven percent of rice consumers polled claim they know how to cook at least “a handful of rice dishes (5 dishes)”; however, only 19 percent indicated they could cook 10 or more. USA Rice marketing efforts here will continue to focus on the versatility of this original ancient grain, giving consumers more reasons to believe in and use U.S.-grown rice.
When it comes to origin, USA Rice marketing efforts have moved the needle as there has been significant improvement in the percentage of consumers recognizing their rice as having U.S.-origin – 15 percent (up from 8 percent in 2017). Promoting the Think Rice U.S.-Grown label on rice products, such as the Longo store brand ready-to-eat offerings, like KFI’s Butter Chicken, are helping elevate origin messages at the point of purchase (see
USA Rice Daily, April 19, 2019).
The survey also suggested 53 percent of consumers use rice because they can re-use it in leftovers.
“Encouraging Canadians to both think and rethink ways to use rice while promoting U.S.-grown origin as their most local source will be key to our 2021 campaign,” said Grigsby. “We will continue to educate consumers about the nutrition benefits and entice them to increase rice consumption by providing new usage and recipe inspiration incorporating the most popular rice types being exported to Canada.”