How pasta became the world's favourite food

BBC ^ | June 15, 2011 | Caroline McClatchey

[decimon]

Pasta has topped a global survey of the world's favourite foods. So how did the dish so closely associated with Italy become a staple of so many tables around the globe?

While not everyone knows the difference between farfalle, fettuccine and fusilli, many people have slurped over a bowl of spaghetti bolognese or tucked into a plate of lasagne.

Certainly in British households, spaghetti bolognese has been a regular feature of mealtimes since the 1960s. It's become a staple of children's diets, while a tuna-pasta-sweetcorn concoction can probably be credited with sustaining many students through their years at university.

But now a global survey by the charity Oxfam has named pasta as the world's most popular dish, ahead of meat, rice and pizza. As well as being popular in unsurprising European countries, pasta was one of the favourites in the Philippines, Guatemala, Brazil and South Africa.

And figures from the International Pasta Organisation show Venezuela is the second largest consumer of pasta, after Italy. Tunisia, Chile and Peru also feature in the top 10, while Mexicans, Argentineans and Bolivians all eat more pasta than the British.

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It is a complex carbohydrate which releases all the goodness slowly and you feel satisfied for a long time.

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[decimon]

Mangia ping.

[SunkenCiv]

Mmmm, pasta...

[svcw]

I have eaten in many Latin/Mexican restaurants and have never seen pasta or any kind. Oh, well....pasta is good.

[krb]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27ugSKW4-QQ

[JRandomFreeper]

I have eaten in many Latin/Mexican restaurants

Unless you have eaten home-cooked mexican food, you haven't eaten anything but Tex-Mex or the equivalent.

I make fideos y pollo on a regular basis. That's a pasta dish.

Of course, I've lived in the culture, so Tex-mex to me is just Tex-mex. And Taco Hell is American fast food.

/johnny

[La Lydia]

It’s called sopa seca. Or fideos (vermicelli). It is the first course alternative to soup in any civilized household or restaurant’s comida corrida.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/sopa-seca-mexican-noodle-casserole-recipe/index.html

[decimon]

I have eaten in many Latin/Mexican restaurants and have never seen pasta or any kind.

To be expected in an ethnic restaurant. What people eat at home is probably pretty eclectic these days.

[svcw]

I would disagree that every restaurant is Tex-Mex. I have eaten Mexican in CO, AZ, NM, TX, UT and CA they are all different. We usually go to non chain hole in the wall places. I have had Mexican in Mexico and most the restaurants are pretty close. I have eaten Mexican in private homes and never had pasta.
Oh, well I'll look over the menus over more carefully next time.

[svcw]

Yummmm, I am making that tomorrow for dinner. Thanks.

[JoeProBono]

[pyx]

Noodles (pasta) are incredibly simple to make from scratch.
Homemade UDON style noodles only require 1 teaspoon of salt, 2/3 cups of cool (not cold) water and 2 and 1/2 Cups of All Purpose Wheat Flour. Mix thoroughly the salt into the water then add the All Purpose Wheat Flour.

There is a video of the process on YouTube. The complete process is shown and the kneading and folding the dough in a plastic baggie works unbelievably well. There is one problem though, once you make your own noodles and realize how simple it is, you will never go back to store bought.

Also, you can lightly Wok (fry) the finished boiled noodles with onion, celery, a bit of soy sauce and some sliced steak. The finished product is both are addictive and delicious with some hot chili sauce.

[decimon]

My name is Italian and I’ve always liked pasta.

However...grain foods have been argued here as to their health benefits or deficits. And the comments at the BBC link have some of the same arguments I’ve seen here.

[hellbender]

I'm glad I used my noodle and read the article before I posted the "fact" that the Chinese invented pasta, which it says is a myth. I also learned this intriguing fact:

It's been associated with prestige - people used to buy votes with pasta.

I think we need another study: What is the favorite payment for votes these days? We need a statistical sample of Demonrats to work with.

[mylife]

while a tuna-pasta-sweetcornpeas concoction can probably be credited with sustaining many students through their years at university.

[iowamark]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDm3gtKLaVw
“Good Eats: American Classics: Spaghetti With Meat Sauce”

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/meat-sauce-and-spaghetti-recipe/index.html
“Alton Brown: Meat Sauce and Spaghetti”

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/spaghetti-bolognese-recipe/index.html
“Emeril Lagasse: Spaghetti Bolognese”

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Don’t really like pasta - might have been all those Cup-O-Noodles back in college. Just as well, trying to avoid the carbs.

[La Lydia]

I adore sopa seca. But it can be something as simple as pasta tossed with garlic and olive oil and red pepper flakes, or lemon zest. Or bacon and onions. Yum.