For over 500 years rice has been the “king crop” of the Novara area, characterising its agricultural economy and defining its landscape. A wide range of varieties of rice are grown here, from the well-known classics such as Arborio, Roma, Sant’Andrea, to the lesser known Baldo, Balilla, Vialone Nano and Ribe, as well as Venere, the intriguing Black Venus rice.

Novara possesses a wealth of rice-based dishes, but the classic recipe must be Paniscia, a hearty dish of rice cooked with lard, onions and the local salame della duja in a broth whose ingredients vary with the season but can include beans, carrots, celery, leeks, cabbage and tomatoes. The name “paniscia” derives from the fact that the dish was once made not with rice but with a low-grade cereal similar to millet, called panìco.

Paniscia used to be a festive dish, cooked only on special occasions, but today you can try it in restaurants and agriturismi all over the area, along with a glass of excellent Piedmont wine.