Rice is an overlooked culinary component, often viewed as a necessary, but not particularly flavourful, staple to a meal. It’s a supporting cast member to the star on the plate, the designated driver of all things delicious.But then there’s Carolina Gold rice – a product so sought after in the 18th and most of the 19th Centuries, both in North America and in Europe, that it made Charleston, South Carolina, one of the richest cities in the United States for a time. All those pristine church steeples pointing heavenward and those well-preserved Italianate, Queen Anne, Greek Revival, Georgian and Federal structures flanking the town’s enchanting streets? Those were all paid for with highly profitable Charleston Gold rice – so named for the unique rice fields, which turn a gleaming gold when ready to harvest. The “gold” in Carolina Gold, however, could also be more symbolic for the actual gold the rice brought to Charleston.
“What I love about Carolina Gold,” said Charleston Grill chef Michelle Weaver, “is that it’s the most diverse rice I’ve ever worked with. It can work as sticky rice, in porridge, in risotto, whatever you need.”
It was my first meal in the 350-year-old southern town, and I’d asked Weaver to serve me anything rice related.
The procession of plates on my tasting menu included a few dishes where the rice not only fulfilled its role of playing a starchy sidekick to an edible protagonist, but also threatened to steal the show. The Carolina Gold sticky rice that accompanied the barbecued mackerel, for example, was soft and had a crunch like al dente pasta. Despite a subtle nuttiness, the rice is not particularly aromatic, which means it inherits the flavours it’s sharing the plate with.