The Rice Brand That Ina Garten Swears By
We’ve just embarked on a month-long celebration of rice (and its many forms!) here at Kitchn, and I’m learning a lot in the process. Who knew there were so many varieties and cooking methods to choose from? And why, for the love of rice, am I still following the instructions on the back of the bag? Naturally, all this talk of rice led me to one question in particular: What brand of rice does Ina Garten use?
You see, Ina is my culinary North Star. I do whatever she tells me to because she’s my queen and she’s simply never steered me wrong. For the answer to my question, I made a quick trip to the Barefoot Contessa website; under the “Shop” section, Ina has a secret category where she links to 26 of her favorite ingredients. BINGO: It’s RiceSelect Texmati.
Buy: RiceSelect Texmati Long Grain White Rice, $12.14 for 32 ounces
When Ina likes a particular ingredient, she often suggests it in the text of her recipes. (So is the case with her Herbed Basmati Rice and her Warm Brown Rice & Butternut Squash recipes, where Texmati gets a shoutout.) According to RiceSelect, Texmati White Signature is “an American-style Basmati rice,” developed at the RiceTec lab in Alvin, Texas.
In an interview with Bon Appetit back in 2018, in which Ina gave a coveted pantry tour, she elaborated on her love for this rice in her signature short-but-sweet style: “I like the quality of Texmati rice. I use brown basmati rice, white basmati rice, arborio rice, and couscous. I just find the flavor fantastic.”
RiceSelect rices come in 32-ounce plastic jars, which make for excellent stacking and storing — not to mention, the screw-top lids guarantee freshness. And the selection is stacked as well: There’s Texmati White, Brown, Wild, Arborio, and Jasmati. In addition to all of their rices, RiceSelect also sells Cous Cous, Orzo, Pearl Cous Cous, Quinoa, and more. It’s no wonder Ina has a few jars of these on deck at all times.
So if you’re ever in the rice/grain aisle in the grocery store and ask yourself, “What would Ina Garten do?” The answer is simple: Buy RiceSelect Texmati rice.