Special mini-rice goes from Vale do Paraíba to Notiê’s table

“I know how far Ruzene rice has come. It has earned the respect of all of us, cooks and consumers.” This is how chef Onildo Rocha, from the Notiê and Abaru restaurants in São Paulo, talks about the quality of the artisanal rice brand produced in Pindamonhangaba, in the Paraíba Valley of São Paulo.

José Francisco Ruzene, or Chicão, is responsible for the product’s success. A farmer, he says he was born on a rice field. But what sets his work apart, as Onildo saw during his expedition through the Atlantic Forest for his restaurant Notiê’s Matas & Mares season, is his investment in research and the creation of new products for the specialty rice market.

Chicão works by cross-breeding different types of rice and became known when he teamed up with chef Alex Atala years ago. “I didn’t know how valuable it is for a chef to promote the product that is produced here on the farm,” says the farmer in a conversation with Onildo.

“And for us in a restaurant, it’s wonderful to have this variety,” says the chef. So wonderful that he brought the mini-rice to his restaurant Notiê. Those who choose the house’s tasting menu try the rice accompanied by octopus, an explosion of flavors from the Atlantic Forest.