Rice is one of the typical products par excellence of Italian cuisine. Although the largest and most famous rice fields are those found in China and Japan, Italy does quite well for itself with some typical products such as Vialone Nano Veronese, a perfect rice for the preparation of risottos, dish of excellence in the gastronomy of this country. And for more than thirty years the Rice fair has been held in the territories of Verona and surroundings, more precisely in Isola della Scala, a highly anticipated event both by lovers of good food and by professionals in the food sector. The 2018 rice fair will be held in October and will host over 150 exhibitors from all over the world, constituting one of the most important trade fairs in the whole of northern Italy.
The 2018 rice fair, but more generally the event itself, regardless of the edition, is one of the most anticipated events of the year for all lovers of typical Italian cuisine. It is a very popular fair, both with visitors and with those who work in the culinary sector, which gathers more and more consensus every year and which represents a real meeting place for tradition and innovation, for supply and demand. It is held every year in Isola della Scala, a small town in the province of Verona.
Rice Fair: exhibitors and events
Rice Fair 2018, just like its previous editions, will be characterized by the presence of exhibitor countries from all over the world. It hosts one of the largest trade fairs in northern Italy, with about 1km of exhibits including novelties, typical products and unobtainable delicacies. In addition to the exhibition, there are also outdoor and indoor tasting areas, play areas for entertaining children, museum areas for guided tours and purely festive areas in which concerts, fashion shows and events of all kinds are organized, to entertain the whole family.
There is no lack of areas dedicated to risotto courses, held by the greatest Italian chefs experts in the sector.
Organized groups
The organized groups that want to visit the 2018 Rice Fair are entitled to special discounts (the more people participating in the visit the greater the discount) and the help of a guide. For all those who want to visit the fair without a guide, admission is totally free. The only thing that will be paid, are the possible eating stops between one booth and the other and participation in organized events on site, such as the cooking lab.
Rice Fair 2018: dates, times and how to reach it
The 2018 rice fair will presumably be held in October, as per usual annual tradition. The official dates and times have not yet been released, but what we can assure you is that the fair tends to have an average duration of 26 days and extended opening hours, beginning in the late morning and closing from midnight onwards. Everything is organized to allow maximum turnout at peak times for tasting, or those for lunch and dinner. All the other events revolve around the tastings.
Isola della Scala can easily be reached by car, bus or train. The locality is well connected to the neighboring cities and to the nearest airport both by train station, served by Trenitalia trains (less than a 1km walk from the pavilions area), and by road network. It is located 20km south from Verona and can be reached either by state road 12 in the direction of Modena (for those arriving from Verona Sud) or the A22 motorway (exit Nogarole-Rocca). Campers are also welcome at the rice fair thanks to a parking area located 100m from the pavilions, but a place should be booked in advance by contacting the organization.