Maratelli is a semifino rice native to the Asigliano Vercellese province of Vercelli in northern Italy. It is part of the group of ‘semi-fine’ rice. Compared to other Japonica varieties, it is early-ripening, it has a good yield and, in the right weather conditions, allows for the early use of fields for other successive cultivation. It is a stable rice genotype, hence maintaining constant culinary and botanical properties over time.
Maratelli rice keeps its shape better than other forms of rice during slow cooking. Due to higher quantities of amylose it is perfect for making risotto. Chef Gualtiero Marchesi used it in its original "Risotto oro e zafferano" recipe in 1982.[1]