gautam

Please forgive me if my geography is rusty, but a part of Croatia is quite close to Venice and that region of Italy, is it not? I am curious to learn if the rice culture we hear about Venice, the famous risotto etc. also spread to contiguous regions of Croatia? Or is the risotto thing somewhat overemphasized in current American foodie trends, and is a minor thread in Venetian foodways, hence not prominent in Croatia?

Now as to Arborio and other expensive risotto rices, many find Chinese sticky/glutinous rice a fair substitute. There also is a Thai jasmine sticky rice, a slightly different grain than the Chinese or Korean kinds. I think this type would be the ideal for the coconut milk/cream + Thai candied small bananas or sliced fresh mangoes suggested upthread.

These days there are so many Thai restaurants in Italy as well as Pakistani+ Bangladeshi immigrants in the region, that I believe sourcing many types of rice, including basmati white & basmati brown, would not be difficult. These people run a shadow, as well as an open, economy catering to their own dietary needs.

Croatia & Slovenia have sizable communities of folk very seriously practicing Eastern religions, including ISKCON, Krishna Consciousness. These last are very traditional in the food offerings they make for worship, i.e. excellent vegetarian Indian cookery [nothing like restaurant garbage] served free to all. They have super rice dishes.

FREE. Eat, smile, nod your head, vamoose.They will teach you anything you fancy. Like every religious group, they are interested in your soul ----- you are interested in what recipes they can show you!!

I will append a video link soon to a great rice dish made by them. But these folks will have contacts for cheaper good rice, various legumes and spices in a place like Croatia, where these items may not be common.

Croatia is fun because you can plant your own teeny saffron patch of 20-50 crocus and play with them for your rice dishes!!