Has anybody seen a place in Boston which sells Carolina Gold Rice ?
I bought Carolina Gold Rice at the Cambridge Formaggio just after Christmas to make Hoppin’ John. It was $20 a pound. It was a holiday gift to myself. I am not sure it was worth it, but I am sure I won’t do it again.
If you buy from Anson Mills directly as a home cook (not wholesale), it’s 6.95 for 14 ounces, or 69.95 for 10 pounds. Of course, you have to pay shipping. I’ve ordered from them often in past years, not recently, and gotten several products to reduce the shipping per item charge.
I had some direct email correspondence with the owner of Anson Mills a few years ago. He said he doesn’t sell to retailers because he wants his products to be stored and sold under the best conditions. He advises that you freeze all his products if you order from him directly. He said he was impressed with Formaggio practices so he did agree to sell to them for retail resale. For a short while, Christina’s in Cambridge sold Anson grits and rice but that was a few years ago and I don’t think Anson is still available there. The Christina’s guy did keep the products in his freezer. I don’t know if Anson Mills has changed their selling to retailers policy since my last information. They apparently sell a lot of wholesale to restaurants.
By the way, I love the detailed, complicated recipes on the Anson Mills website.
What is so wonderful about this rice that commands such a hefty price tag?
I’m not a rice connoisseur (although I love and use fairly expensive paella rice from Spain) and I personally don’t think it’s worth it. However, it is apparently a 17th century rice strain revived by Anson Mills and also by
https://www.carolinaplantationrice.com
The latter is available on Amazon. I have not tried this brand.
I do love the other Anson Mills products I’ve tried and think they are worth the price, ordering directly from them. The grains are organic and heritage, and that will either appeal to find out more and try, or to avoid as overpriced and pretentious. Or both (I fall into both camps at times). But then, I also love Rancho Gordo beans and other “heirloom” vegetables and grains. I grew up on grits and hated them but the Anson grits were a revelation to me.
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Thanks. Intriguing, but boy that’s a lot of $$.
Thanks for the reply - I like to support local shops but $20/lb is more than double what I pay buying online. I will order it online and try it on the Curry Leaf and bacon hopping John from Asha Gomez
I hear you, but you can eat your weight in fabulous cheese samples at Formaggio and make it worthwhile!
oh, I agree. $20 a pound is subsidizing local shops, far beyond supporting them. I love Formaggio and their cheeses, but as I said, I would not buy it again, from them. I don’t know the difference between the Anson carolina gold rice and the Carolina Plantation rice available through Amazon, but I will not be preparing a taste comparison.
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