If you’re looking to make quick work of your nightly dinner routine, look no further than your pantry. Keeping it filled with staples like rice, noodles, canned veggies, and more, will turn the dreaded “What’s for dinner?” question into an easy one to answer—even if you don’t have a plan. If you have some veggies and eggs in the fridge, fried rice is always a win. Condiments like soy sauce and sesame oil can enrich a simple broth for ramen. You get the idea. That’s why we’re all about Lotus Foods, a rice brand that offers everything you need to enjoy this gluten-free ingredient on a regular basis.

The History of Lotus Foods

Since 1995, Lotus Foods has been introducing exotic rice varieties to home cooks. The rice is grown on small family farms in remote areas like China, Bhutan, and Bangladesh, and the grains are prized for their unique taste, texture, and nutritional benefits. At the heart of the brand is a love story, starting when the founders first tasted black rice while traveling in China. They began importing it to the U.S. and in 2016, Lotus Foods became a Certified B Corporation. It focuses on impacting its employees, suppliers, and community in positive ways.

Lotus Foods Company Mission

The mission of Lotus Foods is to change how rice is grown around the world. It’s a tall order, but this brand is committed to creating better growing practices, bringing back heirloom rice varieties, reducing its environmental impact, and improving nutrition for its customers—all while advocating for social and economic justice on behalf of small-scale farmers.

Benefits of Lotus Foods

Lotus Foods partners with small-scale farmers to help change how they grow rice. Whether it’s forbidden rice, jade rice, or another heirloom variety, all the rice is organic and fair trade. The company’s “More Crop Per Drop” growing approach allows farmers to double and triple yields using up to 50 percent less water, and 80 to 90 percent less seed. One key to this method is planting small, young seedlings that can be easily transferred between 8 and 15 days old. Transplanting seedlings into moist fields set up on a grid pattern helps reduce labor and eliminates the need for them to work in standing water, which can pose health risks. Rice is also planted in wider-spaced rows (rather than clumps), which makes it easy to use a mechanical weeder (the advantage being that it can be used while standing upright instead of bending down). Following these practices results in less work for farmers, plus more water available for other crops and communities.

Top Lotus Foods Products

Get your Lotus Foods fix by enjoying some of these top products.

Organic Forbidden Rice

It’s believed this ancient grain was eaten by the Emperors of China. While it may have been off-limits centuries ago, it’s not forbidden today, so stock up on this heirloom rice that you’ll fall in love with thanks to a nutty flavor, soft texture, and rich purple color.

Organic Brown Pad Thai Rice Noodles

For authentic stir-frys, reach for brown pad thai rice noodles to whip up your favorite takeout dishes at home. The noodles cook in five minutes and are ideal for both warm and cold dishes, or as an alternative to gluten-free pasta.

Easy Rice and Noodle Recipes

Rice is a gluten-free staple that works for breakfast, dinner, and even dessert.

Gluten-Free Ramen Recipe

Quick cooking noodles like rice noodles or wonder noodles make it extremely easy to whip up your next meal. The broth is enriched with ginger, garlic, shiitake mushrooms, and fish sauce for a flavor punch you’ll love to sip. Add a hard-boiled egg for extra protein.

Kimchi Fried Rice Recipe

Fried rice is perfect for savory breakfasts or relaxed dinners. Topped with a poached egg and mixed with spicy kimchi and nutty sesame seeds, there’s lots of umami flavor inside every bite.

Sweet Saffron Rice Bowl Recipe

Don’t miss this simple dessert made with ... rice! It’s cooked in a coconut milk-based sauce that’s infused with honey, cardamom, and cinnamon.

Lotus Foods, Forbidden Rice® Ramen with White Miso Soup