Canadian Lake Jumbo Wild Rice
26Canadian Jumbo Wild Rice
This wild rice is made with a parching method that is non-abrasive and yields nice dark grained rice. It is the largest, plumpest, and the ripest of all the wild rice harvested in the US and Canada. Cook time 70-90 minutes.Most wild rice available in grocery stores across America is what is referred to as "paddy rice". This rice is grown similar to brown rice in rice paddies. It cooks uniformly, and is consistently the same year after year because it is a cultivated, hybridized wild rice developed by the University of Minnesota. There is a huge difference between "real" wild rice and paddy rice.
"Real" wild rice grows wild in the clear cool lakes near our facilities. It is not genetically modified and has not been altered like most of the other grains available in the US. This wild rice requires just the right conditions to grow and only grows naturally in northern Minnesota and in Canada just north of us. The water has to be at a certain level, and it needs to flow slightly, but not too much so that it uproots the plants. The bottom of the lake needs to have rich humus, and the temperatures need to be like those you see in this area: COLD! Given those conditions, you can grow a wonderfully delicious, natural, wild rice (which is actually an aquatic grass with large seed heads).
Wild Rice, the real wild rice, will not grow in rice paddies nor can it be cultivated. This is a natural grain, native to Minnesota, that is not a "farm crop" and cannot be "cultivated". While the hybridized "paddy rice" may resemble its ancestor, real wild rice is the ancestor. Like the ancient parents of many heirloom seeds and grains, this rice grows on non-depleted soils at the bottom of pristine lakes and is planted by "Mother Nature". Once the rice is harvested it looks just like large, green, grass seed. These seeds are then parched to remove the husk and cause the starches inside the seed to restructure. Without the parching process this grain (seed) would not cook into "rice" nor "puff" into the tender twisted, nutty-flavored strands that we love.
Canadian Jumbo Wild Rice uses a method that gives you nice even dark grained "rice". It has been parched with modern equipment giving a high-quality grain. The largest of the wild rice kernels we call, "Canadian Jumbo," because it is harvested from healthy plants in remote areas of Canada wherein the untouched wilderness, the grains become huge. We consider this wild rice to be the "cream of the crop." It is the largest and the plumpest of all wild rice in North America and because of its size, it takes 70-90 minutes to cook.
Wildly Organic sells 3 varieties of wild rice. Canadian Jumbo Wild Rice takes the longest to cook and is the largest, but all 3 options have great flavor and cook up light and fluffy. They can be substituted 100% for any other type of rice in a recipe and make a wonderful side dish. Please visit our blog for recipe ideas!
Wild rice can be sprouted.



- Canada