KONRIKO New Iberia: Mike Davis on America's Oldest Rice Mill
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Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to Conrad Rice Mill, New Iberia
01:41 P.A. Conrad, a riverboat, and the 1912 mill
03:16 How Conrico became KONRIKO
03:38 Long grain, medium grain, short grain
06:15 The day Mike knocked on the mill door
07:58 Buying a rice mill at 29
09:29 Selling rice out of a truck
10:56 Why white rice loses the best part
12:13 A professor, Della rice, and a nutty aroma
13:18 Wild Pecan Rice and Gourmet Magazine
17:30 Glenn Conrad and the National Register
19:04 The Smithsonian comes to look
20:10 Building the visitor center
22:32 Hunting the River Road for salvage
25:00 The Greek seasoning that outsells the Creole
28:14 A rice grower in Belize
34:07 No salt, and the rice flour carrier
34:40 What The Joy of Cooking taught him
42:15 CO2, oxidation, and shelf life
43:59 72 hours in the freezer
44:51 The weevil problem in your pantry
49:39 The next generation
52:40 Taking the mill tour
54:00 The Wednesday Cuban sandwich
1:00:26 Why New Iberia
The oldest operating rice mill in the United States is not a museum piece. It’s a working building in New Iberia, Louisiana that still hums, creaks, and ships flavor across the country. We head to Conrad Rice Mill with Mike Davis to hear how a 1912 operation survives floods, market swings, and changing grocery store economics by staying stubborn about quality and brave about change.
We get practical fast: what actually separates long grain, medium grain, and short grain rice, why Cajun kitchens love medium grain, and why restaurants often prefer parboiled rice for the steam table. Mike walks us through how rice goes from rough to brown to white, then shares the moment he realizes the “commodity” path is a race to the bottom. That sets up the bigger story of niche marketing, including the breakthrough of wild pecan rice and how a memorable name and aroma can open doors from Louisiana to major retailers.
From there, we dig into the products that surprise people: seasoning blends that travel nationwide, a naturally gluten-free production advantage, a Bay Island “secret sauce” that’s still made with serious care, and a rice flour gravy thickener that skips the cornstarch slurry and won’t clump. We also get the behind-the-scenes science on CO2-flushed packaging, oxidation, and how KONRIKO protects shelf life without losing what makes the product feel real.
If you love Louisiana food, Cajun culture, small business strategy, or heritage tourism, you’ll leave with ideas you can actually use. Subscribe, share this with a fellow food nerd, and leave a review so more people can find the stories that make Acadiana taste like home.
The podcast was made possible through partnerships with Rouses Markets, Logic Refrigeration HVAC, The Cajun Table, Vermilionville, Soul Haus Kitchen, Chris Logan Media, Miles in Style Travel, and Sunday's Soda Fountain – proving that when a community rallies around celebrating local food culture, amazing things happen. Subscribe now to join this delicious adventure and become part of the movement that's transforming Lafayette's food scene one bite at a time!
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