"Bomba" rice from the "Delta del Ebro"

Ingredients:
“Bomba” Rice
Natural smoke
No preservatives or artificial coloring

Preparation:
With a steel tray the rice is laid out and smoked for 2 hours at  controlled
temperature and humidity.

Recommendations of use:
Avoid strong sauces in order to enjoy the product.
Store in a cool dry place.
Best used blended with Bomba in equal measures, or 1/3 smoked bomba: 2/3
bomba
Illa de Riu:
“Illa de Riu” rices are cultivated from our carefully selected seeds on the
“Illa de Riu” estate, meaning they are always homogenous. QUALITY AND
UNIFORMITY GUARANTEED. “Illa de Riu” rice offers a consistent quality
because it does not contain a single grain of other varieties and therefore
always has the same flavour, the same texture, the same appearance and
requires the same cooking time, characteristics welcomed by the most
demanding chefs. CONSISTENCY GUARANTEED.
ILLA DE RIU Carnaroli Rice 1KG
A variety of rice of Italy origin, known since 1961. With its large and
consistent grain, it is highly appreciated in haute cuisine, especially for
risotto. “Illa de Riu” Carnaroli rice, produced on the estate from selected
seeds, is an unblended variety which offers consistent characteristics when
it comes to cooking and flavour, benefiting both chef and consumer.

ILLA DE RIU Bomba Rice 1KG - 2KG - 5KG
A variety of rice cultivated since the last century. Highly appreciated for
its culinary quality. Growing to twice its length upon cooking, it does not
become glutinous and offers great consistency and excellent flavours. “Illa
de Riu” Bomba rice, produced from selected seeds, is an unblended variety
which offers consistent characteristics when it comes to cooking and
flavour, benefiting both chef and consumer.
ILLA DE RIU Bahía Rice 1KG - 5KG
Bahía rice has for the last 30 years been widely considered to be the best
of the more common varieties in our country. “Illa de Riu” Bahía rice,
produced on the estate from selected seeds, is an unblended variety which
offers consistent characteristics when it comes to cooking and flavour,
benefiting both chef and consumer.
The cycle normally begins at the end of April and ends with the mechanical
harvest in September. Much care is taken with this procedure in order to
ensure that no stray grains of a different variety are present, and thus
avoiding contamination, both in the production of seeds and in the rice
destined for consumers.

CULTIVATION
Our rice-growing origins lie in the production of our own rice seeds. Our
own expert (who holds a PhD in agricultural engineering and is a lecturer at
Lleida University) selects one hundred ears of rice, from which the best are
picked and one hundred more used to begin the next cycle. With these few
kilos, a small surface is sown to obtain a second generation. Then, to
continue increasing production, a third generation is created, and finally a
fourth, from which commercial rice is obtained. This process is identical
for all the varieties we select and is repeated each year. This is complex
and delicate work, but it ensures a purity of variety which is essential in
guaranteeing maximum quality.

It is dried and stored before it passes through the various stages of
production and then is distributed to the final consumer after packaging.

THE EBRO DELTA
” The Ebro delta is like a world in itself, individual, unique (…). The
villages, rich in resources, have a primitive development and are inhabited
by healthy-looking farmers (…) The impression is of finding oneself in a
strong, free land - the same sensation as finding oneself aboard a ship,
sailing” ( Josep Pla, Guide to Catalonia, 1971)

If we were looking for a place to discover impermanence, or a place where it
is difficult to establish the divide between land and water, or even between
fresh and salt water, that place would be a delta. The Ebro Delta is a
quasi-island of around 300 km2, in the shape of an arrowhead entering the
sea, where over the passage of time the Saltwort fields have been turned
into rice fields.

It is the area of Catalonia with the longest tradition of rice production,
motivated by the proximity of the river, the nature of the climate, its
salinity levels, and the height of the freatic layer. One of the Delta’s
rice varieties most appreciated by internationally-renowned chefs is the
‘Bomba’. The reasons for this are both many and of great significance. Its
composition and the way in which it reacts to cooking guarantee success in
any dish, under any circumstances.
ABOUT US
We are an agricultural firm currently run by the third generation of the
Trias family, dedicated to the production and commercialization of high
quality rice under the brand name ILLA DE RIU. We produce Certified Seed
rice and hold the Official Qualification of Seed Selectors.
We therefore obtain different varieties of rice from the first generation
for our own use and its commercialization. Among these we find the Bomba
seed, which we do not commercialize so as to increase the prestige of our
end product.
We also produce different varieties of commercial rice, destined for
industry. We harvest approximately 3,400 tonnes of rice from our “Illa de
Riu” estate (Ebro Delta) annually, of which 18% is Bomba.
Our sole aim in providing this information is to highlight the quality of
our product. In producing our own seed and growing it without the need for
third party involvement, we assure maximum quality and no mixing with other
varieties, resulting in consistent quality and uniformity of product.
All stages of production take place at our Montsià Cooperative facility,
which is equipped with modern installations that meet all health
regulations. In addition to the attractiveness of its presentation, our
packaging also features a double-sealed interior to ensure perfect
conservation.
It is for all these reasons that Bomba “Illa de Riu” rice is being
increasingly sought after by the best restaurants and specialist shops
inside and outside Spain.
We also offer, at a more accessible price but with the same rigorous quality
as Bomba, “Illa de Riu” Bahía rice (exclusively this variety), which is
ideal for anyone interested in improving their cooking and searching for
constant texture, flavour, cooking time, etc., something only possible with
a single variety of rice. .
Amongst our rice varieties we also find Carnaroli rice (an Italian variety
known for its excellent quality and suitability for risottos), which, like
the other varieties, we produce ourselves here on our estate under the brand
“Illa de Riu”.
OUR HISTORY
José del Romero (1873-1936), a Barcelona-born commanding officer in the
merchant navy, in 1917 acquired an immense estate on the River Ebro Delta,
property of the Marquisate of Tamarit, known as Illa del Pantà or Illa de
Riu (Marsh Island or River Island).
The salinity of the land on the estate would only allow only for rice
cultivation, and with the help of residents from nearby villages, the
grounds were converted into paddy fields, which were then rented to
smallholders who paid with a proportion of their harvest.
Upon José del Romero’s death, his wife, Montserrat de Sentmenat, who would
eventually become known as “The Commandress”, took charge of the estate.
Roberto Trías, the husband of Pilar, one of Montserrat’s daughters, took
charge of half of the property and spent over 40 years creating irrigation
canals and paths between paddy fields. His son, Juan Trías del Romero, the
youngest of nine siblings, is currently in charge of the company SAT el
Pantar, which operates the Illa de Riu estate.
The tradition of the family was to sell all the rice to wholesalers, except
for a small part reserved for the family. But in 1995, a large unsold order
convinced the company to commercialize under its own brand, Illa de Riu.
Years later, the Bomba variety established itself and now represents 18% of
the estate’s total production.