Move over pasta, here's Italian rice

A foreign company selling rice in China may sound like "selling coal to Newcastle", but DOC39 Italian Taste has been doing exactly that - and with considerable success.

The Italian company has been selling its medium-grained carnaroli and black venere nero rice varieties from northern Italy's Verona region in China since 2008.

These rice varieties are considered the best for making risotto. The company sells its organic rice for 20 yuan ($2.9) a kg, compared to 10 to 15 yuan per kg for Chinese white rice.

DOC39 also imports olive oil, wine, tomatoes, pastas, coffees, water and vinegars for about 25 upscale eateries and five-star hotels, such as the Park Hyatt, the Ritz-Carlton and the Westin.

To showcase the quality of its risotto, the company invited Italy's "Ambassador of Rice", Gabriele Ferron, to prepare a six-course meal of rice dishes in Beijing.

The internationally acclaimed gourmet chef, whose family has run a rice-processing factory for more than 500 years, was head chef at the G8 leaders' meeting in l'Aquila, Italy, last year.

Ferron served up his gourmet specialties for gastronomes attending last week's Rice Festival at Beijing's branch of the Milan-headquartered Sadler Restaurant - a sleek upscale eatery located in the historical Qianmen 23 Compound.

Despite the success of its rice sales in China, DOC39 says it does not plan to move into importing tea into the country - at least, not anytime soon.