Calrose is a medium grain

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima ''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...

variety, notable for being the founding variety of the California rice industry.

History

Calrose (USDA # C.I. 8988) originated from and was developed at the Rice Experiment Station near

Biggs, California Biggs (formerly, Biggs Station) is a city in Butte County, California, United States. The population was 1,707 at the 2010 census, down from 1,793 at the 2000 census. The 2018 population estimate is 1,724. Geography Biggs is located at (39. ...

, and released to California growers in 1948. It grew in popularity with growers, marketers, and consumers to become the prominent rice variety in California until the late 1970s. Specific processing and cooking properties were associated with Calrose. Over the years, improved new varieties of Calrose grain cooking and processing characteristics were released. These medium-sized grains were commingled with Calrose in storage, and later replaced the variety in commercial production, due to their superior performance at many levels. Although that variety of Calrose is no longer grown, Calrose has become a name recognized both in trade and the marketplace for the California-type, medium-grain rice. The name "rose" indicates its medium-grain shape ("Blue Rose" is an earlier medium-grain developed in Louisiana), and "Cal" pays homage to California, the state of the grain’s origin and production. Eighty percent of the California rice crop is Calrose rice.

Availability

Calrose rice is the most recognized variety of California

rice in the United States Rice production is the third largest among cereals in the United States, after corn and wheat. Of the country's row crop farms, rice farms are the most capital-intensive, and have the highest national land rental rate average. In the US, all ric ...

and abroad, especially in the Pacific. The variety is grown in other areas of the world where growing conditions are suitable, such as

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. After cooking, Calrose rice grains hold flavor well, and are soft and stick together, making it good for use in

sushi is a Japanese cuisine, Japanese dish of prepared , usually with some sugar and salt, accompanied by a variety of , such as seafood, often raw, and vegetables. Styles of sushi and its presentation vary widely, but the one key ingredient is " ...

. Calrose was once a much sought-after variety in Korea, where it was considered exotic. There was even a

black market A black market, underground economy, or shadow economy is a clandestine market or series of transactions that has some aspect of illegality or is characterized by noncompliance with an institutional set of rules. If the rule defines the se ...

for the variety, and it was smuggled in large quantities.

Growers

The following are the top suppliers of Calrose Rice: * California Family Foods * American Commodity Company * Farmers' Rice Cooperative * Pacific International Rice Mills * Doguet's Rice Milling Company * Far West Rice * Hinode Rice *

Sun Valley Rice Sun Valley Rice, founded in 2000, produces medium-grain calrose rice. In 2019 it became the first US company to export rice to China. Founded by father and son Michael and Ken LeGrande, the company is based in Sacramento, California. The company ...

References

External links

California Rice Commission
{{Authority control Agriculture in California Japonica rice Rice production in the United States