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| Product type | Flavored rice, pasta mixes |
|---|---|
| Owner | Quaker Oats Company |
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | 1958; 67 years ago (1958) |
| Markets | U.S. |
| Previous owners | Golden Grain Macaroni Company |
| Tagline | "The San Francisco Treat" |
| Website | ricearoni.com |
Rice-A-Roni (a portmanteau ofrice andmacaroni) is a boxed food mix that consists of rice,vermicelli pasta, andseasonings. To prepare, the rice and pasta are browned in butter, then water and seasonings are added and simmered until absorbed. It is a product ofQuaker Oats Company, a subsidiary ofPepsiCo.
In 1890, Italian-born immigrant Domenico DeDomenico[1] moved toCalifornia, where he established a fresh produce store. A successful businessman, he married Maria Ferrigno fromSalerno,Italy. Back home, her family owned a pasta factory, so in 1912 she persuaded him to establish a similar business in theMission District ofSan Francisco. The enterprise was "Gragnano Products, Inc." It deliveredpasta to Italian stores and restaurants in the area.
DeDomenico's sons, Paskey,Vince (1915–2007), Tom, and Anthony, worked with him. In 1934, Paskey changed the name to "Golden Grain Macaroni Company". Tom's wife, Lois, was inspired by thepilaf recipe she received from Armenian immigrantPailadzo Captanian, to create a dish of rice and macaroni, which she served at a family dinner. In 1958, Vince invented Rice-A-Roni by adding a dry chicken soup mix to rice and macaroni. It was introduced in 1958 in theNorthwestern United States and went nationwide three years later. Because of its origins, it was called "The San Francisco Treat!"[2] It is loosely based on theLevantinepilaf dishrizz bi-sha'riyya.[3][4]
After a trip to Italy in 1964, Vince returned with the idea for "Noodle Roni Parmesano", based onFettuccine Alfredo. As the product line extended with other shapes and sauces it was renamed from Noodle Roni to Pasta Roni in 1995. In 1986,Quaker Oats Company purchased the Golden Grain Company from the DeDomenico family.[5] In 2001, the Quaker Oats Company was purchased byPepsiCo.
American Italian Pasta Company bought the Golden Grain brand in 2003, but the sale did not include Rice-a-Roni, which remained with the Quaker Oats division of PepsiCo.[6]
Rice-a-Roni markets low-sodium versions of its primary products. The company has marketed a line of products with brown rice.
In 2024, a third line of products called Mac-A-Roni was released in cheddar and white cheddar flavors.[7]
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