ARLINGTON, VA –
Episode 133 of
The Rice Stuff podcast is out today, and it marks a milestone for USA Rice's flagship podcast: the first episode produced for video, now streaming on the USA Rice YouTube channel, (but also on your usual audio-only platforms).
As previously reported, (see
USA Rice Daily, May 20, 2026), USA Rice’s Michael Klein and Morgan Crafton hit the floor of the 2026 National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago – the Super Bowl of the food service industry – and came back with a podcast episode full of conversations that capture exactly where domestic rice stands in 2025: in demand, on message, and showing up strong.
The episode features four interviews that together tell a bigger story about why U.S.-grown rice is having a moment. Pei Wu, founder and CEO of Mochi Foods, explains how she built a thriving line of mochi pancakes, waffles, and brownies using 100% California sweet rice, and why she flew to Sacramento to watch her crucial ingredient get planted. Lynsey Russell and Hayley Smith from Riceland Foods, the country's largest domestic rice co-op, talk about the flood of customer questions they've been fielding about tariffs, and why the answer ("we're grown right here in Arkansas and Missouri") keeps landing harder than ever. Steve Hilsdon from Della Rice makes the case for premium Arkansas-grown rice on the food service stage, fresh off a "Taste of the Show" win and a live demo featuring jasmine rice, rabbit, and a bourbon-sweet potato glaze. And food service veteran Kevin Gross of Kinetic12 – attending his 37th NRA Show – brings the strategic lens, breaking down why domestic rice's economics, its supply chain story, and the current wave of consumer patriotism all point in the same direction.
Crafton, in her second year at the restaurant show and on her first pod episode, showcased the strong blocking and tackling instincts one would expect from an Auburn Tiger.