Today is World Pasta Day: Here are 7 Fun Facts About Pasta

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Every culture flaunts their varieties of pasta. With Twists, Macaroni, Eliche, Spaghetti we can say Happy World Pasta Day (October 25) in our own dishes.

PASTA IN NIGERIA

Flour Mill Nigeria established the first pasta plant in Nigeria. Several brands have also stepped into this space which has heightened competition. Others are Barilla and Mueller, all foreign brands that have helped to increase competition in the market.

Examples are:

  • Dangote Spaghetti/Macaroni, manufactured by Dangote  Group, 
  • Honeywell Spaghetti/Macaroni, produced  by Honeywell Nigeria Plc
  • Power Spaghetti from Pure  Flour  Mills Limited
  • Golden Penny Spaghetti/Macaroni,  manufactured by Golden Penny Foods
  • Crown  Spaghetti/Macaroni, produced by Crown Flour Mills
  • Bua Spaghetti/Macaroni from  Bua Group

Here’s some food for thought to share with your friends and family next time you tuck into a bowl of spaghetti…

1. PASTA ISN’T ORIGINALLY FROM ITALY – OR IS IT?

Italy and pasta are synonymous, so it might come as a surprise to discover the Italians might not have invented it. According to Food Network Canada, the Chinese have been eating noodles since as early as 5000BC.

Many people credit the famed Italian explorer Marco Polo for having brought pasta to Italy from China in the 13th century. However, the International Pasta Organisation reckons this is a myth based on the plot of a popular movie from the 1930s. They say pasta dates to Italy’s ancient Etruscan civilisations and Sicilians had been making it for over two centuries before Polo returned from his travels to the Far East.

2. THERE ARE OVER 600 PASTA SHAPES

That’s according to America’s National Pasta Association. Here are some shapes you probably didn’t know existed: Gigli (resembles a bell-shaped flower), rotelle (wagon wheels), mafaldine (ribbon-shaped) and Anelli (thin circles).

3. THE NAMES OF MANY PASTA SHAPES ARE PRETTY UNAPPETISING

Pasta names might sound charming in Italian but they lose some of their appeals when directly translated into English. The word “pasta” itself literally means “paste”. “Linguine” means “little tongues, “orecchiette” is “little ears” and “vermicelli” translates as “little worms” – try not to think about that when forking some into your mouth.

4. THE WORLD’S LARGEST BOWL OF PASTA WEIGHED 7,900KG

The Guinness World Record for the largest bowl of pasta was set in Poland in 2015. it took 40 chefs over 19 hours to cook and prepare it.

5. THE MEN BEHIND FATTI’S & MONI’S WERE RIVALS AT FIRST

“Fatti’s & Moni’s is a part of South Africa’s Italian heritage but the two names didn’t always live so happily side by side,” explains the brand’s website.

In 1896, Luigi Fatti opened a small Joburg grocery store selling Italian foodstuffs. A decade later, brothers Pietro and Giacomo Moni set up a similar shop.

This was renamed Fatti’s & Moni’s in 1982 and today it’s owned by Tiger Brands.

6. GORDON RAMSAY HOLDS A PASTA WORLD RECORD

In 2017, the British celebrity chef set a new Guinness World Record for the longest pasta sheet rolled in 60 seconds – and he caught it all on camera for an episode of his show The F-Word. The sheet he produced was 144.78cm long.

7. SUNDAY TIMES FOOD’S MOST POPULAR ONLINE RECIPE IS A PASTA DISH

The baked macaroni cheese from Nikki Werner and Brandon de Kock’s award-winning cookbook Cook. Better. is the recipe that has got the most clicks on our website over the past couple of years.

Check out this and other delicious pasta recipes here.

 

Adapted from TimesLive