USA Rice Brings The Farm-to-Table Concept to Life for Culinary Professionals

CONTACTS: Judy Rusignuolo, jrusignuolo@usarice.com, (703) 236-1453 or David Coia, dcoia@usarice.com, (703) 236-2300

NEW ORLEANS, April 30, 2008 — In response to growing interest by chefs, culinarians and consumers to know the origins of their food, the USA Rice Federation recently hosted a day-long “From Farm to Table” experience in Louisiana for 35 culinary professionals. The food experts received a first-hand view of this trend by touring Jeff Durand’s family rice and crawfish farm and enjoying an authentic Cajun lunch of U.S.-grown rice and other local foods prepared by Chef Patrick Mould.

“By learning about the farmers, the food becomes more interesting, more personal and more meaningful,” said tour attendee Kristine Kidd, food editor of Bon Appétit magazine. Louisiana School of Cooking Chef Mould of agrees, “More so today, people want to know where their food comes from. I like to use products that are indigenous to the region I am cooking in, and our rice stacks up to any rice grown in any other part of the world. It’s very high quality, cooks well and there are many different varieties of rice.”

Attendees also learned a less well-known fact: that most of the rice consumed in the U.S. is grown here. U.S. rice farmers produce an abundant supply of short, medium and long grain rice as well as jasmine, basmati, arborio, black japonica and more. About 19 billion pounds of rice are grown each year in six states: Louisiana, Arkansas, California, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas.

“About 88 percent of the rice consumed in America is grown in the U.S.” said Clarence Berken, a Louisiana rice farmer and chairman of the USA Rice Council. “Today white rice remains a key staple for consumers and chefs, but we’re also seeing a growing demand for brown rice, which is whole grain rice before the bran is removed to make white rice. We’re very proud of the fact that in the U.S. we produce our rice to the highest safety and quality standards in the world.”

Tour attendees learned about the different rice types and sampled its versatility through local Cajun cuisine with dishes like Crawfish and Rice Calas, Boudin (spicy pork and rice sausage), Crawfish Etouffee with U.S. Jasmine rice and Creole Rice Pudding. Culinary professionals also toured Durand’s family farm to see how rice and crawfish fields complement each other.

“Rice and crawfish crops are very eco-friendly,” says third-generation farmer Jeff Durand. “Rice farms create an ideal, natural and sustainable habitat attracting hundreds of species of waterfowl and shorebirds that feed and nest in the ponds and fields.”

According to the University of California at Davis, sustainable agriculture offers innovative and economically viable opportunities for growers, laborers, consumers, policymakers and many others in the entire food system. Sustainable agriculture integrates three main goals: environmental health, economic profitability, and social and economic equality.

For more information on U.S. rice, varieties, U.S. rice suppliers, menu ideas, and benefits for foodservice, visit www.menurice.com.

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