Pasta is a dish that has become synonymous with Italian
culture. Italian immigrants brought pasta with them, and practically everywhere
they have gone since. The most famous pasta dishes in the world can usually
trace their roots back to Italy, but the country isn’t the original spot for
pasta.
Marco Polo
The origins of pasta are somewhat debated. The most widely
believed theory is that the explorer Marco Polo brought pasta home with him
after reaching China. This expedition would have occurred during the Yuan
Dynasty, and there is evidence that the Chinese had been consuming noodles far
before that.
The trouble is that these noodles aren’t technically pasta. In
addition, there is evidence pointing to pasta already being in Sicily at least
two hundred years before Polo’s expedition.
Truer Origins
It’s hard to pinpoint, but many food historians seem to
agree that Libyans may have originally developed pasta. They also brought sugar
cane and eggplant to the region as well. The Talmud makes reference to pasta as
early as the fifth century.
In addition, the Italians learned how to hand dry the pasta
they made from the Libyans. This theory is bolstered by the number of Arabic
flavors found in early recipes for pasta.
Although there are some who speculate that pasta is actually
Greek. True, the word pasta does translate to “dough” or “pastry cake.” There
is even a story of the god Vulcan pushing dough through a machine that converts
it into thin strands of edible dough.
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