Arborio rice is primarily used for making risotto, rice pudding, and a variety of other delicacies. For variety add fresh herbs and chopped vegetables during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

This rice creates its own creamy sauce; add additional liquid if creamier texture is desired. To cook as table rice: Combine rice, water, and butter (optional) in a pot and bring to a boil.

It is probably the best all-rounder for cooking. Remove from heat, stir in cheeses and serve immediately. Arborio is the classic risotto rice from the north Italian region of Piedmont.

Arborio rice is the most widely available variety of Italian superfino rice, used to make risotto. You can use long grain rice if that's all you have, but Arborio is the same rice used to make risotto, and we all know how creamy risotto is, right? The common white rice is not suitable for this starch releasing process, hence Arborio rice is used. It has plump grains and a high proportion of amylopectin, a type of sticky starch that’s responsible for the trademark creamy texture of risotto. The starch releasing process is what makes the risotto a luscious dish to eat. As Arborio rice is traditionally used in creamy dishes, you may also use the rice cooker’s Porridge settings. The creamy consistency in risotto is created due to the starch being released from the Arborio rice during cooking. You can also make a risotto on the Zojirushi NS-ZCC10 rice cooker with a few extra ingredients. That's because Arborio has a higher starch content than long grain rice, so naturally it makes a creamier rice pudding. (arborio rice, left; long grain rice, right) Lastly, I like to use Arborio rice. Although it is not considered as the ideal rice for making sushi, you can still use this as a substitute when Japanese short-grain is not available. Eating it along with Arborio rice makes it tastier.