History of Pasta
Pasta belongs to the rich and diverse Italian cuisine. Have you ever thought about the origins of pasta? To know the history of pasta, read on...
The origin of pasta can be traced to the ancient Etruscan civilization. Etruscan is the English word for the people from Corsica and Italy. It is also said that pasta was brought to Italy by explorer and trader Marco Polo. However, the origins of pasta are said to be found in history before his time. To get a better overview let's explore the history of pasta!
Pasta and Etruscans
Archaeological evidences suggest that some carvings on the wall of an Etruscan tomb are of pasta making tools. The excavations show pictures of carvings of utensils for making pasta. Even the Italians believe that pasta has an origin in the Etruscan civilization. There are no other strong evidences to prove that pasta belongs to the Etruscan civilization.
Pasta and Greece
The ancient Greeks made broad noodle-shaped dough from the durum wheat, which is commonly known as macaroni wheat. They did not boil these noodles, instead roasted it on fire or baked them in ovens. These noodles were known as lagane. Lasagna is said to be derived from the word lagane. The boiled pasta was yet to be discovered.
Pasta and Arabs
Jerusalem Talmud, a collection of rabbinic notes about Jewish law, has record of boiling dried noodles in water. Jerusalem Talmud was written in Aramaic in the 5th century A.D. The record is about dried noodles that were available in the market. Arab traders carried dried noodles to Sicily in the 8th century. They did this as the noodles made quick and nutritious meals in their travel to Sicily, by the silk route. The word macaroni is said to be derived from Sicilian word macaroni, which means 'made into a dough by force'. The Sicilian pasta recipes include raisins and cinnamon, which were introduced by the Arabs. The oldest macaroni recipes are Sicilian, and include pasta and eggplant. The sailors from Sicily took pasta with them to the Italy. Pasta became famous amongst the travelers, as it remained fresh for a long time and was easy to cook.
Pasta and Marco Polo
Stuffed pasta or dumplings were originally made in China from 1700 B.C. In 1295, Marco Polo is said to have brought pasta to Italy from China. This pasta was not dried pasta and it was made from rice flour. However, there are evidences that pasta had existed in Italy, since 1279. Pasta was available in markets in the 14th century. Barefoot men kneaded the durum flour by treading on the dough for one whole day. This made pasta an expensive commodity.
Pasta and Tomatoes
In 16th century, tomatoes were brought to the Old World from the New World. Initially, they were considered to be poisonous; but later on, they changed the history of pasta. Pasta was, then, served with the ubiquitous tomato sauce. The first recipe of tomato and pasta was written in 1839.
Pasta and Naples
In the 17th century, pasta became very affordable in Naples, due to the invention of the mechanical press, which was used to knead the dough. The King of Naples Ferdinando II, hired an engineer to invent some machinery that could make pasta easily and eliminate the need of barefoot men for kneading the dough. This engineer invented a bronze machine to make pasta production easy. Moreover, the climate of Naples was also favorable for drying pasta. Very soon, Naples became Italy's capital for pasta. In 1740, Paolo Adami got a license to set up the first pasta producing factory in the city of Venice.
Pasta and America
Pasta was introduced to the Americans in the 20th century. During the civil war in America, cheese and macaroni were popular. Thomas Jefferson was the minister of France and got acquainted with pasta on a trip to Naples. He brought macaroni with him on his way to America and introduced pasta to America. The first pasta-making factory in America was set-up in 1798, in Philadelphia.
Later, pasta was available in various shapes and sizes, like spaghetti, vermicelli, fettuccine, linguine, tube-like macaroni and large sheets of lasagna. Nowadays, pasta is considered very healthy and is readily available. It does not matter which story fascinates you the most, the tasty pasta will surely be a delightful meal always.