Tidewater Grain Company Carolina Gold Rice

Carolina Gold Rice is the first rice to the Americas. Tidewater Grain Company is the first farm to bring rice production back to North Carolina. I first told you about Tidewater Grain Company in Oriental NC in 2019.

Back then, this little family run farm In Eastern North Carolina had just started retail and wholesale sales of their Carolina Gold Rice. Since that time, Tidewater Grain Company has grown to become the largest producer of Carolina Gold Rice in the world!

I don’t know about you, but for me, one of the most satisfying things about cooking Tidewater Grain Company’s Carolina Gold Rice, is that that the first time you start to fluff it with a fork after the cooking is done! The texture is light and fluffy; then there’s the eating… nothing beats the delicious nutty taste of this heirloom rice!

Have Your Tried Carolina Gold Rice Middlins?

Middlins are the grains of rice that break or split in the milling process. Even broked, these cook up as delicious bites of Carolina Gold RIce. Chef’s have now coined the term “rice grits” to perhaps more adequately describe the texture of Middlins. Make them as you would corn grits, Enjoy for breakfast, brunch or with a side of spice sauteed shrimp for the classic, shrimp and grits.

After you read the rest of this post, I invite you to go back in the video vault with me. Watch one of the first cooking class videos I ever did featuring Tidewater Grain Company products. I filmed this one in 2019 and these are still two of my go-to recipes. In the video, I use Tidewater’s middlins (aka rice grits) to make cheesy rice grits with country ham biscuits.

How to Cook with Tidewater Grain Company’s Carolina Gold Rice

Cooking Tidewater’s Carolina Gold Rice is different from cooking the middlins and there are several ways to prepare this heirloom rice.

You’ve got to love a rice that cooks up light and fluffy or as sticky rice. This rice can be used in so many different applications. You can parboil and bake it for light and fluffy results to enjoy right away. Or, boil and steam it for a slightly stickier finish.

Find and follow the recipe for Tidewater Grain Company’s Classic Butter-Baked Rice coming up in this post. For the stickier rice version, check out this quick and easy video recipe on my You Tube page.

You can of course enjoy this rice hot from the pot. Or try it stirred into chili, with your favorite soup or stew or under any creole dish. But, if you let it cool, you can use it to make arancini, fried rice or these wonderful rice cakes. You can also go old school and make boiled rice. Yes that is a thing, simply cooking these heirloom grains almost as if it were pasta.

Where to find Tidewater Grain Company Carolina Gold Rice

Order from the shop on the TidewaterGrain.com website 24/7/365 for easy shopping and home delivery. Shop Local at TidewaterGrain.com for brown and white Carolina Gold Rice and middlins in a variety of package sizes. You’ll also find their heirloom Rice Flour, long grain Santee Gold Carolina Gold Rice and rice brand soap for one-stop shopping. And, you know there is tons of merch online as well.

The first weekend in March, my friends at Tidewater Grain Company will be at two great events in the Carolinas. I want to use this opportunity to share the delicious details.

Make your way to the coast in North Carolina and South Carolina the weekend of March 6-8, 2026 to take in either of these fun festivals. Find Tidewater Grain Company at both events with their Carolina Gold Rice, Rice products and hats, t-shirts, hoodies and all of their popular branded TGC merch for sale.

2026 Charleston Wine + Food Festival

The Charleston Wine + Food Festival 2026, taking place March 4–8, 2026. This year celebrates two decades of culinary excellence in Charleston with more than 90 tasting events, chef collaborations, and wine-centric experiences that highlight the Lowcountry’s vibrant food and beverage scene. The festival brings together local and national chefs, sommeliers, and producers for a rich mix of lunches, dinners, tastings, and special events across the city. 

Many Chefs across the Carolinas cook with and serve Tidewater Grain Company Carolina Gold Rice on the regular on their restaurant menus. In the Charleston area, this list includes: Burwells, By the Way, Chubby Fish, Mercantile & Mash, Patrick Properties Banquets, Sharehouse, Sweet Palm Coffee, Shokudo and Church and Union. Make plans now to visit them all.

For Charleston Wine + Food 2026, Chef Masatomo “Masa” Hamaya of Shokudô, Charleston’s only Japanese beer tavern, is featuring Tidewater Grain Company’s white Carolina Gold Rice on the menu for an intimate March 6th dinner that celebrates the spirit of izakaya culture.

Charleston Wine + Food Dinner at Shokudo features Tidewater Grain Company Carolina Gold Rice

Shokudô blends traditional Japanese culinary techniques with a laid-back, convivial atmosphere. Helmed by Chef Partner Masatomo “Masa” Hamaya and centered around an open kitchen with a large robata grill, the restaurant honors centuries-old traditions while embracing the flavors of the seasons with local ingredients.

I have had the pleasure of meeting chef Masa and love his style. I haven’t been to Shokudô yet, but, its on my list and I can’t wait to go and check it all out.

For this special evening, Chef Masa will team up Atlanta-based Chef J. Trent Harris of MUJŌ and the soon-to-open Koshu Club to create a multi-course menu designed for sharing. Guests will enjoy robata-grilled bites, warm bowls, crisp tempura, and inventive plates that highlight both collaboration and creativity. The Tidewater Carolina Gold Rice bite featured in the photo above will be a part of the dinner which will also include thoughtfully paired with Japanese beers, curated sakes, and hand-picked wines, each course will bring together flavors meant to be enjoyed in community.

Tidewater Grain Company at Charleston Wine + Food Culinary Village

The Tidewater Grain Company team is headed to the Charleston Wine + Food Festival March 6, 7 & 8 to hang with all the cool kids in the festival’s awesome CHSWF Culinary Village.

They will be there all three days of the long weekend, from 1-5:30 pm each day and they can’t wait to see you there! They will have rice to purchase as well as hats, t-shirts and all of the amazing TGC merch!

Tickets for the festival and for entry into the Culinary Village each day are available online, along with all the particulars about this years festival events here.
Advance Tickets are a must and Here’s how that works:

⭐️ A GENERAL ADMISSION ticket gets you in the mix from 2-5:30pm
⭐️ GENERAL ADMISSION + ticket gets you early access to all the fun from 1-5:30pm
⭐️ A VIP ticket gets you everything.. from 1-5:30pm, and enjoy lounge views, Moët Hennessy pours, chef pop-ups, and prime access all afternoon!

Get Your Tickets Now at CHSWF.org

Pro tip: Want to explore the Culinary Village like a pro? Grab the full 3-day bundle. Then you can go and hang out with the Tidewater team every afternoon!

North Carolina Rice Festival

You will also find the Tidewater team this month at the annual North Carolina Rice Festival. The festival takes place on Sat, Mar 7, 2026, from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm and is a celebration of the rich Gullah-Geechee culture and heritage and the role that Carolina Gold Rice played in shaping the North Carolina lowcountry.

It all happens at the historic Brunswick Town Fort Anderson, 8884 St Phillips Rd SE, in Winnabow, NC. This day of the annual festival features nearly 100 vendors, Tidewater Grain Compnay among them. In addition, the festival schedule includes both outdoor and indoor history and cultural presentations, live music, drumming, dance performances, a children’s stage, arts, crafts, food vendors, story tellers, and of course Carolina Gold Rice.

The Tidewater team will be there all day on Saturday. Look for the booth just as you enter and get with rice, rice products and all the merch to bring home and enjoy .

Parking for the festival is free. While you are there, enjoy the beautiful riverwalk and all of instagramable scenic views. Go and enjoy it all.

FAQs About Tidewater Grain Company Carolina Gold Rice

What is Carolina Gold Rice and why is it special?

Carolina Gold Rice is an heirloom grain that helped shape the early food culture of the American South. In fact, it was the first rice grown in the Americas. Today, Tidewater Grain Company in Oriental, North Carolina has brought this historic crop back into production and has grown into the largest producer of Carolina Gold Rice in the world. The rice is known for its beautiful texture, its rich culinary history, and its naturally nutty flavor.

What does Carolina Gold Rice taste like?

Carolina Gold Rice cooks up light and fluffy with a delicate, nutty flavor that’s noticeably different from standard grocery store rice. Once you taste it, you won’t ever look back.

How do you cook Carolina Gold Rice?

There are several easy ways to cook Carolina Gold Rice depending on the texture you want. You can refer to all the recipes in this post for more details

• Baked rice produces light, fluffy grains.
• Boil-and-steam methods create a slightly stickier finish.
• Some cooks even boil it like pasta, then drain it for perfectly tender rice.

What are Carolina Gold Rice middlins?

Carolina Gold Rice middlins are the smaller grains that break during the milling process. They cook up creamy and comforting, which is why many chefs now call them “rice grits.” Prepare them the same way you would corn grits and serve them for breakfast, brunch, or alongside sautéed shrimp for a delicious take on shrimp and grits.

Where can I buy Tidewater Grain Company Carolina Gold Rice?

The easiest place to buy Carolina Gold Rice is directly from the Tidewater Grain Company online shop at TidewaterGrain.com. Here you will find white and brown Carolina Gold Rice, middlins, heirloom rice flour, and Santee Gold long-grain rice in a variety of package sizes, plus Tidewater’s rice bran soap and all the fun Tidewater merch, as well.

What recipes work best with Carolina Gold Rice?

Carolina Gold Rice is incredibly versatile in the kitchen. Serve it hot from the pot under chili, soups, stews, or Creole dishes, or let it cool and use it to make fried rice, arancini, or crispy rice cakes. Because the grains stay tender and flavorful, it works just as well in simple everyday meals as it does in more creative dishes. Parboiled Tidewater Grain Company Carolina Gold Rice also freezes well for future use.

More About Tidewater Grain Company

Tidewater Grain Company is a sustainable, family and farmer-owned specialty and heirloom small grain producer based in Oriental, NC. They take pride in being part of the entire process-from planting and harvesting, to milling and packing, to sales and marketing.

Known for producing all-natural, gluten free, non-GMO rice, Tidewater has become the largest grower of both Carolina Gold and Santee Long Grain rice in the world! Shop for home delivery and get more info at TidewateGrainCompany.com

About Heidi Billotto

Heidi Billotto is a culinary storyteller, writer, educator, and on-air expert who brings local food, chefs, restaurants, and local producers to life where ever she goes with a genuine curiosity, a passion for what she does and her signature joyful style.