Viva La pasta! Live for pasta! As strange as it may sound; you don’t know your Pasta.
Pasta!! It is a meal that often comes in many variants and requires no announcement whatsoever yet accepted in many if not all nations of the world. Accepted for many of its advantages such as flexibility, ready-to-eat, appeal, little-or-no-ingredient add-ons; it is true that it is a meal for all from all works of life.
Basically, it is a type of noodle made from a mixture of durum wheat with water or eggs, the pasta is a cuisine with a global appeal which can also be made from substitutes such as rice flour and legumes. The production of pasta comes in two forms namely dried and fresh pasta also known as secca and fresca respectively. Secca, dried pasta which is always for commercial production is done via a mechanical process of extrusion regardless of the scale of production; and fresca which is produced by hand traditionally with the help simple utensils domestically and large machines for commercial production.
These forms of pasta have been redesigned to a variety of shapes and types through research and development programs and consumer surveys schemes of manufacturers with many pasta forms specific to certain regions or demography. Forms of pasta include flat, decorative shapes (some flowers, alphabets, comic hero etc.), short and long and so on. In Italy, pasta cavatelli, a form of pasta is known to be synonymous to certain regions and known by many names.
Speaking of delicacies, pasta is made to numerous taste and preferences with other condiments, meals or as a main course. As an Italian cuisine, cooked pasta can be added to meals to be baked while many may be served as the main course and this includes pasta salad. In all, the process of preparing and dishing pasta undoubtedly is an art, one that is synonymous to Italy, home of many of the world’s finest chef.
Notably, the origin of pasta may not be documented or acclaimed to a specific location or individual but history has a tint of information relevant to pasta. Itrion, a mixture similar to flour and water was mentioned in the findings of the Greek physician Galen in the second century. Also, itrium, a form of mixture required in making pasta was recorded by the Jerusalem Talmud as a common compound in Palestine during the third to fifth century. A compilation of Isho bar Ali also surfaced in the ninth century as well as text of Al-Idrisi for Sicily Roger II of Norman King in 1154. However, despite the little knowledge on the history of la pasta its acceptance is secondary to none.
In terms of demand and production, Italy ranks as the highest producer of the dried pasta followed by the United States and Brazil in 2011, with Italy and the US retaining the position in 2016. Trust the yummy and satisfying feel you derive from pasta knows no bound. Want to cherish the next yummy feeling? If so, this quiz is yours; give it a good try.
