ROME, June 20 (NNN-XINHUA) – A deal for Italy to export two kinds of special rice to China is seen as a sign of continued strengthening of ties between the two countries, as it does about the popularity of Italian rice-based cuisine.
Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, announced recently that, the two countries finalised a deal that will allow Italy to export Arborio and Carnaroli rice to China. The agreement is one of the latest commercial deals between the two countries.
The agreement was based on the protocol of China’s General Administration of Customs and Italy’s Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies, “on the inspection and quarantine requirements of Italian rice exported to China,” which stated that Italian rice “meets the inspection and quarantine requirements” for import.
“It may sound counter-intuitive that Italy will export rice to China just because China already produces so much rice already,” Silvana Ballotta, head of Business Strategies, an advisory firm, said in an interview.
Rice has been part of Italian cuisine since the 15th century, but the Arborio and Carnaroli varieties only date back around 100 years. They are used to make risotto, a traditional dish, in which the rice is cooked in meat, fish, or vegetable broth until it becomes creamy.
The Chinese embassy in Italy confirmed the deal, saying, it might satisfy the needs of Italian restaurants in China, as risotto is an important part of the Italian cuisine.
Additionally, while Italy is Europe’s leading producer of rice, the country has only around 230,000 hectares of land under cultivation for rice, all of it in northern Italy, according to data from the Italian Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies.
“Arborio and Carnaroli rice will only be part of a niche market in China,” Ballotta said. “But this is more about developing the wider market for Italian food products and about the ties between the two countries.”
According to Francesca Filippone, founder and managing director of L3, a business development consultancy specialising in the food and wine sectors, this deal is “a further sign of strong relations between two countries that already have many ties.”
“I think Italy realises that China is its economic future,” she said. “This is about building that relationship as much as it is about selling some rice.”
