25000 hectares of rice land in the provinces of Biella and Vercelli. This area is home to Riso di Baraggia Biellese e Vercellese, rice that draws its unique qualities from the characteristics of the original land . The cold winds that blow down from nearby mountains make the grains  smaller, shorter and more compact. The yields are smaller than those found in the Lower Vercelli area, but the organoleptic qualities are superior, resulting in a remarkable grain consistency, meaning they have excellent “hold” and stay firm. Baraggia rice is created and grown in the clean, cold waters that flow in some of the oldest channels in Piedmont from alpine streams. As part of this, Monte Rosa is inextricably linked to the production of rice in the high plains that stretch out at its feet. Because of this, the Consortium for the protection of PDO “Riso di Baraggia Biellese e Vercellese” was established in 2007. The only organisation of its kind in the Italian rice-growing world, its headquarters are located in the Buronzo castle consortium, the historical “capital “of Baraggia’s lands.