Remembrance of things Pasta

MANILA, Philippines - • It is universally accepted that “pasta” refers to the Italian kind, mainly made of durum wheat. But when one says “noodles,” it refers to the Chinese or Oriental type made of rice, wheat, soybean, tapioca or some other grain.

• The Venetian merchant Marco Polo was once believed to have brought back pasta from his journeys in China (he set out in 1271 and returned in 1295). But much documentation since has proven otherwise, with pasta already in Europe much earlier than Polo’s travels.

• During the 8th century, the many Syrian Arab invasions of southern Italy heavily influenced the regional cuisine and is the most accepted theory for the introduction of pasta (the complete Arab rule of Sicily lasted only from 965 until 1061.) The dried noodle-like product they introduced to Sicily is most likely the origins of dried pasta and was being produced in great quantities in Palermo at this time.

• There are over 600 different shapes and varieties of pasta worldwide. Shapes range from simple tubes to bowties (farfalle, which actually means “butterfly”), to unique shapes like tennis rackets (racchette). Translating their names into English does not exactly make them sound appetizing: worms, spindles, hats, butterflies, twins, tubes, thimbles, little boys, etc.

• Until the advent of tomato sauce, pasta was eaten dry with the fingers. Many believe that the liquid sauce demanded the use of a fork, however. Up until a couple of generations ago, the use of a spoon to swirl the spaghetti around the fork was common. However, it is not practiced anymore and the spoon method is definitely out of fashion now.

• Traditionally, grated cheese is not added to fish-based pastas. This rule may be somewhat passé, but you can still earn frowns of disapproval if you ask for it in some upscale Italian restaurants.

• When it comes to sauce it is really up to personal preference unless you are trying to follow a traditional recipe. Pasta is so versatile that can be flavored according to one’s imagination and mood. As a general rule, flat pastas are meant for cream sauces, whereas tomato-based sauces cling better to round pastas.

• Spaghetti with tomato sauce and ground meat or golf ball-size meatballs and Fettuccine Alfredo with cream and cheese were invented in the United States.

• The name “macaroni” is customarily given to a specific shape of pasta (i.e., short elbow tubes). In the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, this pasta is often prepared with a sauce made from cheddar cheese called Macaroni and Cheese, a baked pasta dish.

• As pasta was introduced all over the world, it has become adapted into a number of local cuisines, often with significantly different ways of preparation from those of Italy. While we have our own sweet tomato-based spaghetti and chilled mayonnaise-coated macaroni, in Hong Kong, the local Chinese have adopted macaroni in Cha chaan teng, served in broth with ham or frankfurter sausages, peas, black mushrooms and, optionally, eggs, reminiscent of noodle soup dishes served at breakfast. In India, macaroni has been indigenized, served sautéed with cumin, turmeric, finely chopped green chilies, onions and cabbage.