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Origin of Pasta

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KashifIqbal
Origin of Pasta

This blog is dedicated to all the pasta lovers out there! Scrumptious in every form, this food does not just fill stomachs, it fills hearts!

Taking on numerous shapes, sizes, and forms, this simple dish has become a favorite globally. In fact, most of the catering services make sure to include different kinds of pasta as a specialty in their menus.

Let’s have a look at some of the most interesting facts about the origin of pasta.

What Does Pasta Mean?

The etymology of the word 'pasta' is extracted from Greek and Latin roots which translates to “barley porridge” in Greek, and “dough pastry cake” in Latin. In Italian, this word means “paste” because it is created from a gooey mixture of water, flour, and other ingredients, such as eggs and olive oil.

The word pasta is generally used for traditional Italian noodles, differentiating it from other types of noodles around the world. It is prepared from unleavened dough comprising of ground durum wheat and water, or eggs.

Thanks to its high gluten content and low moisture, durum wheat is ideal for making pasta. The use of durum wheat is what makes Italian pasta stand out from other kinds of noodles.

Where did Pasta Originate From?

All we know is that pasta comes from Italy!

But wait, it’s not that simple. Numerous misconceptions kept on adding to its history over the years, making it hard to track the actual story!

Why is the origin of pasta such a complicated affair?

Well, the problem lies in its ingredients! The dough for pasta is made from flour, water or eggs; all of which have been around for centuries. The common use of these ingredients in other ancient dishes made it difficult to differentiate them from pasta.

A Widespread Myth

Several people believe that pasta is a descendent of Chinese noodles. They further say that the famous traveler, Marco Polo, was the one to bring pasta to Italy from his trip to China. However, this is completely false. This rumor prevailed because of a magazine article and a popular (but not so truthful) film with Gary Cooper.

 What’s The Truth Then?

Pasta existed in Italy way before Marco Polo visited China!

In fact, ancient forms of pasta were invented in different parts of both, Europe and Asia, long before. Soon after discovering how to grow cereals, humans learned to grind them, mix them with water and cook them. This mixture became popular in Italy and China separately, where it was developed into similar foods but with different materials and techniques.

 Marco Polo was a guest of the Mongolian (and not Chinese) dynasty and the Mongols did not eat pasta. The only Chinese custom that Polo mentions is the extraction of edible masses from the bread tree. Marco Polo says that these masses looked like a layer of Lagana, proving so that he already knew pasta before leaving.

Why is pasta’s origin associated with just Italy and not China?

Well, it is all because of the popularity it gained in Italy as a result of extensive Mediterranean trading in the middle ages. From the 13th century, references to pasta dishes—macaroni, ravioli, gnocchi, vermicelli—emerge with increasing frequency across the Italian peninsula.

Evolution of Different Pasta Shapes

Have you wondered how many different shapes of pasta are there?

Well, get ready to be surprised if you don’t know already! There are more than 600 different shapes of pasta produced throughout the world, according to the International Pasta Organization.

The first two kinds of pasta in Italy were laganon (hence lasagna) in the south, and makaria (hence maccheroni) in the center. Other earliest known shapes include ravioli, gnocchi, and vermicelli.

But do you know why there are so many different shapes of pasta in the world? Well, each shape was invented with a purpose. Some of them were created to go along with soups, others to hold different sauces, and some even prepared for special dishes.

Pasta can be found in numerous long and short shapes, tubes, flat shapes or sheets, miniature shapes for soup, those meant to be filled or stuffed, and specialty or decorative shapes.

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