Rice-A-Roni

History

In 1890, Italian-born immigrant Domenico DeDomenico moved to California, where he established a fresh produce store. A successful businessman, he married Maria Ferrigno from Salerno, Italy. Back home, her family owned a pasta factory, so in 1912 she persuaded him to establish a similar business in the Mission District of San Francisco. The enterprise was "Gragnano Products, Inc." It delivered pasta 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 the pilaf recipe she received from Armenian immigrant Pailadzo 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 the Northwestern United States and went nationwide three years later. Because of its origins, it was called "The San Francisco Treat!" It is loosely based on the Levantine pilaf dish rizz bi-sha'riyya.

After a trip to Italy in 1964, Vince returned with the idea for "Noodle Roni Parmesano", based on Fettuccine 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. In 2001, the Quaker Oats Company was purchased by PepsiCo.

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.

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.

References

References

1. "Heritage".
2. Finz, Stacy. (July 16, 2006). "RICE-A-REDUX / After a 7-year hiatus, it's billed once again as the San Francisco treat". [[San Francisco Chronicle]].
3. Perry, Charles. (1998-10-28). "The Middle Eastern Treat".
4. Weiss-Armush, Anne Marie. (1994). "The Arabian Delights Cookbook: Mediterranean Cuisines from Mecca to Marrakesh". Lowell House.
5. Sherrod, Pamela. (June 14, 1986). "Quaker Oats To Purchase Golden Grain". [[Chicago Tribune]].
6. Roth, Stephen. (January 18, 2004). "American Italian Pasta will turn inward after $43M purchase". [[Kansas City Business Journal]].
7. (22 Apr 2024). "Rice-A-Roni debuts mac and cheese products". Baking Business.