Pasta La Vista: Celebrating World Pasta Day

• Image Credit: google

• Oct 25, 2024 | Kabita Pathak

The evolution of pasta has a lot of mysteries…

 Digital Desk: World Pasta  Day is observed on the 25th of October in appreciation of the role of pasta lovers around the world. Although pasta has long become part of international cuisine, it can be rightfully considered Italian. But how did this long-sustained affiliation between Italy and pasta originate?

 
There are many mysteries surrounding the evolution of pasta. This link has one of the most widespread myths that associate the plate with Marco Polo, who allegedly brought pasta from China to Italy in the 13th century. But historians have been quick to dismiss the argument with evidence that pasta had already existed in Italy long before Polo. Some historians think that pasta came from the Etruscans of central Italy or cooks who were using simple equipment to prepare pasta products in that era. Still, this is all rather speculative.

Others found that Arabs brought pasta to Sicily between the 8th and the 9th centuries. They carried with them semolina pastas that are best suited for this purpose of drying and for the duration of a long journey. It was also rather suitable for cultivating durum wheat, which later became one of the main products used in the Italian pasta industry. Today is one of the most important producers of durum wheat in the world and this connects its own agricultural tradition to pasta preparation.

During the medieval period, pasta was already incorporated into the lifestyle of the people in Italy. They cited in Italian literature where in the book of Giovanni Boccaccio, ‘The Decameron’, the author portrayed characters having feasts in ravioli and macaroni and similar dishes. From this period, pasta went throughout Italy and changed its forms and types in accordance with the local ingredients.