So much depends upon the length of a grain of rice. Though it may sound trivial, the textural difference just between long and medium grain rice is a whole other world, culinarily speaking. Whereas long-grained varietals like Jasmine and Basmati tend to have a drier, more individualized texture, like you’d find in a typical fried rice dish, medium-grained rice tends to be a little closer and stickier, like what you’d expect to find in risotto or paella. Trader Joe’s Calrose Rice is a classic example of the latter. Once cooked, it’s elegantly soft and fluffy, and holds onto flavors with ease — the perfect rice for poke or teriyaki bowls, and just the thing to round out our rice selection. First developed in California in the late 1940s, Calrose Rice has since become one of the more popular rice varietals in the world, and by far the most widely grown varietal in California. After tasting it, it’s easy to see why: with its mild flavor and sticky texture, it takes on sauces and seasonings beautifully, without sacrificing any of its satisfying starchiness. Try it out with our classic Mandarin Orange Chicken and you’ll see exactly what we mean.