Baldo rice is believed to be a hybrid of arbiato rice. The Turkish variety of Baldo rice is particularly starchier and can absorb more moisture than Italian Baldo . This makes it very creamy and tender when cooked. It also keeps its shape well, so it may be a better choice for risotto and paella. Turkish Baldo rice is commonly cultivated from the northern Aegean region of Turkey, especially in Balıkesir region, where the climate and soil type is very ideal for its cultivation.
There are not many differences between Turkish baldo and Italian baldo at first sight when you look at them. However, due to climate and soil type differences Turkish baldo has a tendency to have lesser white belly grains that are the white inedible spot in the middle of grain. The Northern Aegean climate is slightly different from the Mediterranean climate regarding temperature and humidity. Because of this, Turkish baldo rice has the capability of absorbing lots of moisture which is more than Italian baldo and arbiato.
In Turkish cuisine, baldo is not the only commonly used rice type. Turks also use Osmancık rice. Osmancık rice is a long grain rice and cultivated mostly in Trakya area and also small parts of Black Sea region of Turkey, especially in Bafra /Samsun. It was not as common as Turkish Baldo until 1997. After being developed by the Agricultural Research Institute of Edirne in 1997, Osmancık rice has been becoming popular among Turkish peoples as Osmancık rice is more ideal for cooking pilav as it does not require as much attention as baldo rice to cook. In this sense, Osmancık rice is more suitable for the people who are in a rush when cooking.
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