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Best Orzotto in San Francisco

“Risotto's cousin made with pearl barley instead of rice. A Friuli-Venezia Giulia specialty with a name that says it all.”

Orzotto

What the real thing tastes like

Orzotto (Italian pronunciation: [orˈdzɔtto]) is an Italian dish similar to risotto, but made with pearl barley instead of rice. Orzotti are a speciality of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of northeastern Italy. The name is a portmanteau of orzo (the Italian word for barley) and risotto. This should not be confused with orzo, otherwise known as risoni, a type of wheat pasta formed into shapes resembling barley grains. Outside Italy, the term commonly refers to a risotto-style dish made with orzo (pasta).

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Orzotto arrives as risotto's subtler sibling—same patient technique, same creamy ambition, but built on pearl barley instead of rice. Born in Friuli-Venezia Giulia in northeastern Italy, it carries a name that announces itself: orzo (barley) plus risotto, fused into one word. The dish demands the same careful stirring and gradual liquid absorption that defines risotto, yet barley brings its own texture—earthier, with a gentler bite.

Order it here when it has

  • specialty of northeastern Italy
  • similar cooking method to risotto
  • distinctive use of pearl barley

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