Cultivating the Lomellina’s land with Passion for three generations

We cultivate the Lomellina’s land with great care and attention, applying techniques which guarantee our products’ quality, while respecting the environment

Giovanni Nipoti - responsible for production
Our products

The Santa Maria farm grew together with my family: a three generations’ history united by the passion for rice, agriculture, research and innovation

Alessandro Cisco
Our history

After 70 years, the Lomello variety was born

The Lomello rice was born in 1953 in the land from which it takes its name, the “Lomellina”, and it is symbol of one of the most important Italian territories for rice production.

We decided to give to this rice variety a second youth through our recovery project, 70 years after the very first production, and we will be the only ones today to be able to multiply its seed and give you the opportunity to taste it. Find out the properties of this old variety, thought for a careful consumer who wants to rediscover the authenticity of the taste of the ancient rice.

Find out about the properties of this ancient variety of rice reproposed after 70 years for a careful and demanding consumer.

A VARIETY WITH AN ANCIENT TASTE

SHAPE OF THE GRAIN

Lomello has a large and pearly grain, perfect to keep the cooking and to release the right amount of starch which will be used to whip great risottos, rich in taste and softness to the palate.


SIMBOL OF LOMELLINA

Lomello was developed to fill Italy’s food needs after the second post-war, when rice’s consumption moved from soups to more noble risottos. Lomello unifies the typical grain of risottos’ rice with the short life cycle of the soup’s variety: it is a symbol, and it is not a coincidence that it takes the name of the Lomellina from where it comes from, a symbol of the Italian rice industry.


CULTIVATION TECHNIQUE

The Lomello cob – in rice the “ear” is called “cob” – it is gorgeous, and it can produce a great number of large grains. On the other hand, it has a lower ability of tillering, or, to produce secondary stems at the base of the plant. Every year, from a continuous process of selection of single stem plants with the best cobs, we select the grains to be sown the following year.


WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO US?

We are the only farm able to multiply the Lomello’s seed, only in the area belonging to our farm, which includes Mede, Lomello and Villabiscossi. Not too long ago, the only registered historic rice variety was the “viallone nero”, originally from the upper Pavia’s area. Today Lomello can have a new life: we are reselecting it, having as objective a wider commercial distribution.

The rice variety that we cultivate

Our rice tells a story of taste and love for the products, from its cultivation to its packaging, until being ready to be enjoyed on the table. Different varieties that meet the need of those who want to taste it.

A short video showing who we are and what we do


Recepy in the spotlight

Risotto with orange and gorgonzola cheese

Risotto with orange and gorgonzola cheese

A GREAT RISOTTO FOR CHRISTMAS DINNER!
INGREDIENTS
  • 320 gr of Lomello rice
  • 2 oranges with edible peel (organic and / or ribera “dop”)
  • 125 gr of sweet gorgonzola cheese “dop”
  • 1 golden onion
  • 1 knob of butter
  • Extra virgin olive oil as needed
  • Fine salt
  • 1.5 litre of water
  • Vegetables for a light broth (1 carrot, 1 celery, 1 onion)
PREPARATION

Clean and cut the vegetables into large pieces for the broth and put them together with the water, which we will then bring to boil.

Finely chop the golden onion and put it together with the knob of butter and a drizzle of oil into a pan, in which we will stew everything over low heat for at least 10/15 minutes, adding a little bit of broth, if needed, until the onion becomes transparent.

Dry toast the rice for 2/3 minutes over medium heat and add the orange juice (about 1 glass) until completely absorbed; cook with broth for 10 minutes, add the stewed onion and continue until the rice cooking is “al dente”, keeping the rice creamy.

Remove from the heat and add the gorgonzola cheese until it is completely melted, adjusting the flavour with the addition of salt. Let it rest for 1 minute and serve with a light veil of grated orange peel.

Would you like to buy our products?

Check our price list and write us an email at info@santamariadeicieli.it
or call us at the +39 333 3611080