The symbol of the Mediterranean diet
“At lunchtime, sitting in front of a dish of spaghetti, the inhabitants of the Peninsula recognize themselves as Italian … The unification of Italy today is called pasta.”
This is how Cesare Marchi, in his book entitled Quando siamo a tavola, described in 1990 the great social value of pasta.
Things have not changed over the years. Pasta is one of the symbols of the Mediterranean diet as well as of the food and wine tradition of our Country.
What are its origins?
Its history dates back to the birth of civilization, when men began to grow wheat, mix it with water and cook it on a hot stone. However, it was only in the Middle Ages that different types of pasta were invented to be boiled and mixed with various sauces. Then the Arabs developed a drying technique which allowed pasta to be stored for a long time.
Did you know that …
Today, in Italy there are over three hundred types of pasta, including fresh or dried, short, smooth or ridged, depending on the type of dough, the size, the characteristics of the surface and the addition of filling.
What are the production steps?
The pasta production cycle can be divided into seven steps: first, the durum wheat is selected and milled, then it is mixed into a dough with pure water and extruded to achieve the desired shape, then pasta rests inside dryers and is ventilated with hot air, eventually it is cooled and packed in cardboard boxes or plastic bags.
