Most wild rice available in grocery stores across the country is what is referred to as paddy rice. This
rice is grown similar to brown rice in rice paddies. It cooks uniformly, and is consistently the same year after
year because it is a cultivated rice. This type of rice is actually a hybrid developed by the University of
Minnesota. There is a great deal of difference between "real" wild rice and paddy rice.
"Real" wild rice grows wild in the clear lakes near where we live. It is not genetically
modified and has not been altered like most of the other grains available in the US. This wild rice
requires just the right conditions to grow and only grows naturally in northern Minnesota and in Canada
just north of us. The water has to be at a certain level, and it needs to flow slightly, but not too much
so that it would uproot the plants. The bottom of the lake needs to have rich humus, and the temperatures
need to be like those you see in this area of the country. Given those conditions, you can grow a wonderfully
delicious, natural wild rice (which is actually a grass with large seed heads).
Wild Rice, the real wild rice, will not grow in rice paddies nor can it be cultivated. This is a natural
grain, native to Minnesota, that is not a "farm crop" and can not be cultivated. While the hybrids like "paddy
rice" may resemble its ancestor, real wild rice is the ancestor. It is like an ancient grain. It grows
on non-depleted soils at the bottom of pristine lakes and is planted by "Mother Nature".
Once the rice is harvested it looks just like large green grass seed. These seeds are then parched to remove the
husk. We currently offer 2 types of wild rice. There are several different types of parching and there is
some natural variation in the size of the grains:
1. The first type of wild rice uses a method that gives you a nice even dark grained "rice". It has been parched
with modern equipment giving a high quality grain. The largest of the wild rice kernels we call, "Canadian
Jumbo," because it only grows in Canada and we consider it the "cream of the crop." It is the largest and the
plumpest of all wild rice in North America. It takes approximately 70-80 minutes to cook.
2. The second type of wild rice we offer is a "Hand Parched" wild rice which has been parched by Ojibwe
Indians in a wood fired parcher using their traditional methods. This wild rice results in a lighter colored wild
rice than the Canadian Jumbo above. This rice also cooks much faster (15-20 minutes). Most Native Americans and many
others prefer this type of wild rice. It is definitely the best choice if you live a fast paced life or do not want
to spend too much time in the kitchen. This rice is delicious, also.
Both of these varieties of wild rice have great flavor and cook up light and fluffy. They can be substituted 100% for
any other type of rice in a recipe and make a wonderful side dish.
