Azienda Agricola Riso Ballone
A Carnaroli rice like few others
Via Carlo Alberto 110 - Sales Point: Piazza della Chiesa, 6A - Cassolnovo 27023 (PV)

"I knew that attending the event "Gli stati generali del Riso" in Vigevano would be useful for exploring the subject properly, but I did not expect to meet a producer who is a living witness to the first certain evidence in the history of this ancient grain, which most likely arrived on our peninsula from the East — though its traces are many. I recall reading that it took around 300 years to reach Lombardy. What Mr Claudio Ballone represents is instead the contemporary testimony of the birth of Italian rice farming: the proof signed by Gian Galeazzo Sforza, then Duke of Milan and elder brother of Ludovico known as "il Moro". The exact date is 28 September 1475, and the document is a covering letter accompanying the first 12 sacks of rice grown on his estate in Cassolnovo, destined for the Duchy of Ferrara."

Now that truly makes a difference — and not only in historical terms.

The farm produces several types of rice, of course, but their Carnaroli is something truly special. Talking with the chefs at the event, I learned that they used precisely this variety, among others, on no fewer than three occasions — with results to match.

This confirms the claim printed on the new dedicated packaging by the farm.

Giovanni Zullo - 26 January 2026