28 October, 2014
History of pasta
Posted in : Pasta recipes on by : pastadmin
It is interesting to know that pasta is associated not with historical facts only but also with many legends and myths. Italy is a trendsetter, as well as the largest producer and consumer of this product.
Pasta originated in China and was delivered to Europe by a famous traveler Marco Polo in 1292, which has been well documented. Although, confirmed earlier as an independent Italian invention it was quoted by Cicero and Horace – the great Roman poets praising various dishes made of flour and water, boiled in salt water. Some cookbooks were found from the time of Emperor Tiberius in the first century AD, which describe the dishes reminiscent of modern pasta.
However the arguments among historians and chefs do not cease here is the main historical timeline of pasta tradition:
XII century – pasta begins to spread across Europe from the southern coasts of Italy. Its spread slowly at first, then more and more – the island of Sicily is known for the production of pasta, without the involvement of Arabs living there.
XIII century – drying pasta in the sun, allowing it to be stored for 2-3 years and in large quantities was used as provisions on ships. Pasta gets imported in Venice, Genoa, Pisa, Naples and other marine city-states. Each of them begins to invent local varieties of pasta.
XV century – the first recorded recipe for lasagna was recorded, referred to as long and hollow pasta. Since durum wheat was grown only in Sicily and Puglia, pasta was considered as an expensive meal and rich italians ate it sometimes as delicious dessert only.
XVI – XVII centuries – tomatoes imported in Europe from America. It becomes a real gastronomic revolution. Cultivation of durum wheat is distributed throughout southern Italy and it becomes equally available to both rich and poor people, which is another reason for such a massive emergence of this product. Presses, cutting machines and dryers were invented and widely used as machines for the pasta manufacturing.
XVIII – XIX centuries – with the development and improvement of technologies pasta is gaining a huge popularity in Italy.
At the same time, it begins to be widely distributed in Europe and America and is becoming one of the most popular and world-known dishes!
Catherine de Medici introduced the pasta in France after her marriage to King Henry II, which was well received by the elite of the time.
The very first Italian company producing pasta ‘Il Pastifico Buitoni’ was founded in 1827 by a woman named Giulia Buitoni. This company still exists today and is one of the largest manufacturers of pasta in the world.
XX century – in the early XX century there wasn’t yet the variety of flavors and shapes of pasta that are familiar to us today. In Europe, it was mainly presented in the form of noodles. Although the drying process has already been known, fresh pasta was much more popular. As a result of mechanization the production of pasta increased and prices fell. The range of dishes has expanded due to the emergence of new forms and flavors. Today you can find a lot of different kinds of pasta: classical (eg. Spaghetti), the original form (Penne and Farfalle), colored paste, etc.