buyers' picks SPECIALTY RICE AND GRAINS
Customers are increasingly receptive to specialty grains like chia, quinoa and farro, while standbys, such as exotic rice, remain popular. BY NICOLE POTENZA DENIS
Yvonne Galliani, Harvest Market, Fort Bragg, CA Farro, chia and quinoa are huge now. We do a tremendous business with cold farro salad in our deli.
Our picks: X "MUFS &DP; 0SHBOJD 3PZBM 3BJOCPX 2VJOPB t #PC T 3FE .JMM $IJB 4FFE t )BSWFTU .BSLFU 'SFTI 'BSSP 4BMBE t -VOECFSH 'BNJMZ 'BSNT 8JME #MFOE 3JDF
t 3PMBOE 4FNJ 1FBSMFE *UBMJBO 'BSSP
Bettina Boone, Medbery Marketplace, Coshocton, OH Though we offer popular brands, like Bob's Red Mill, lots of customers choose our bulk rice and grains for better price options. Rice and grains that are trending are: t #PC T 3FE .JMM $IJB 4FFE BMTP CVML t #PC T 3FE .JMM (PMEFO 'MBYTFFE t #PC T 3FE .JMM 0SHBOJD 2VJOPB
t -PUVT 'PPET 4XFFU 5IBJ 1VSQMF 3JDF CVML
t /BUVSF T &BSUIMZ; $IPJDF )FSJUBHF (SBJO #MFOE
Jessica Yoches, Local Harvest Grocery, St. Louis, MO When it comes to rice, many of our customers choose locally grown. Red and white quinoa are popular healthful
whole-grain choices. My picks: X &EFO; 0SHBOJD 8IPMF (SBJO 3FE 2VJOPB
t *ODB 0SHBOJDT 2VJOPB t ,JNLFS )JMM 'BSN 8JME 3JDF t .BSUJO 3JDF $PNQBOZ +BTNJOF 3JDF
X .D,BTLMF 'BNJMZ 'BSN #SBHHBEPDJP 3JDF
Otto Leuschel, Otto's Market, Germantown, NY Quinoa and sprouted rice and grains are trending right now for their healthful properties. These include: t "ODJFOU )BSWFTU *ODB 3FE 2VJOPB t -PUVT 'PPET )FJSMPPN 'PSCJEEFO 3JDF t 3PMBOE 4FNJ 1FBSMFE *UBMJBO 'BSSP
t 5SV3PPUT 0SHBOJD 4QSPVUFE 2VJOPB t 5SV3PPUT 4QSPVUFE 3JDF 5SJP
Rob Fettig, The Spanish Table, Santa Fe, NM Black quinoa is very popular, as well as the Andean grain kaniwa, which is similar to quinoa. We also sell a ton of bomba rice for paella. My picks: t -FT .PVMJOT .BIKPVC . IBNTB 8IPMF 8IFBU $PVTDPVT
W .BUJ[ 7BMFODJBOP #PNCB 1BFMMB 3JDF
t 3VTUJDIFMMB E "CSV[[P 'BSSP t ;ØDBMP (PVSNFU ,B×JXB "OEFBO )FSJUBHF (SBJO t ;àSTVO )FJSMPPN #MBDL 2VJOPB
MORE PICKS: BEECHER'S HANDMADE CHEESE'S BEST SELLERS, P. 34 Nicole Potenza Denis is a contributing editor to Specialty Food Magazine.
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