Camargue red rice is a variety of red rice cultivated in the wetlands of the Camargue region of southern France.[1]
Red wild rice had traditionally grown in the marshes of the Camargue.[1]
Shortly after World War II vast swaths of salt marshes were desalinated.[1] To boost the local economy, the previous production of salt was replaced by agriculture.[1] Production of white rice was at its peak in the 1960s.[1]
By the 1980s this white rice had cross-pollinated with red wild rice, giving birth to the current breed of Camargue red rice.[1] [2]
Once the husk is removed, the bran is a brownish-red colour.[3] It has an intense somewhat nutty taste and a naturally chewy texture.[3]