Why Rice
Why is Rice Right for Foodservice?
U.S.-grown rice has long been a smart menu choice for operators as few ingredients in a chef’s pantry provide more interesting textures, flavors, versatility, and profit potential than rice. Here are some of our favorite reasons why U.S.-grown rice is great for foodservice:
Simple Storage: Rice stores well without requiring costly refrigeration or freezer space. Kept in a cool place, milled rice lasts indefinitely, and brown rice lasts for several months—even longer when refrigerated.
Easy to Make: Rice holds well and takes no special skill to prepare. Low labor cost means higher profits.
Inexpensive: Rice is a low-cost ingredient that provides great plate coverage, reducing your need for expensive center-of-the-plate proteins. Think jambalaya, paella, risotto, fried rice—all potentially low-cost, high-margin dishes.
Unlimited Options: U.S.-grown rice is widely available and comes in every shape, size, color, and variety you can think of. Rice is also available in “instant” formats making it feasible for all types of operations even QSR.
Flavorful: Different varieties of U.S.-grown rice bring different flavor profiles and aromas to the dish. Rice is also available in blends and seasoned mixes, adding flavor interest and creating shortcuts for delicious finished dishes.
Global: As a dietary staple for more than half of the world’s population, rice roams the globe. It’s an essential component of the ethnic cuisines today’s patrons love, including Thai, Indian, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Turkish and more. With rice on your menu, you can take your patrons around the world.
Limit Waste: Rice revitalizes leftovers and there are many applications for which day-old rice is ideal. Excess ingredients such as vegetables and cooked proteins can be combined with rice in tasty stir-fries and pilafs. By utilizing leftover rice, restaurants can reduce the amount of revenue lost from food waste. That’s found money!
Takeout Friendly: Rice travels well making it perfect for delivery or to-go orders. Rice maintains its flavor and texture during delivery so you can ensure a quality customer experience regardless of delivery time and U.S.-grown rice provides the ideal foundation for takeout options.
Operator Handouts
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Ready Set Rice! A Rice Cooking PlaybookReady, Set, Rice! A Rice Cooking Playbook provides basic foundational information on how rice is produced and the anatomy of the grain, before explaining different varieties by cooking & kernel characteristics and culinary applications. The playbook provides operators with a concise breakdown of the most common foodservice rice cooking methods along with need-to-know rice cooking tips.
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Leftover Rice Menuing GuideLeftover rice can be a difference maker! Learn why you should use leftover U.S.-grown rice in your operation and how to best utilize it to increase profits and reduce food waste, while delivering on optimal texture and flavor.
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USA Rice Takeout and Delivery GuideThe familiarity and versatility of U.S.-grown rice dishes can help operators adapt and thrive in this changing food landscape. Here’s how!
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Rice Hash Brown, Tot, and Skillet Recipe MatrixMix and match from the following ingredients to create your own signature rice-based skillets, hash browns, and tots.