Curiosity and news from pasta world

Pasta, pillar of Mediterranean Diet, elected as Cultural heritage of mankind by Unesco, has a high energetic value with a discrete proteincontent.Energy is around 350kcal in 100g.The fatfat content is low (1%).
Discover more on the New Pyramid of Mediterranean Diet.

Pasta is rich in vitamins of B-family and in iron, contains little sodium and does not contain cholesterol. Moreover, who consumes regularly pasta has a lower level of triglicerides with respect to who neglects this food, being in this way a form of prevention of heart diseases.

Pasta improves people mood. This was stated by the nutritionists of ‘Ipo (International Pasta Organisation) on the basis of scientific evidences. Basically, il glucose released by amid favours the synthesis at brain level of serotonin, the hormone of joy.

Pasta Pasta in Italy experienced a crucial year: 1954. During those 12 months, in fact, consumption reached the 28 kg pro capita per year, that, more or less, is what is consumed still today. Moreover, in those years cinemas presented the movie “Un Americano a Roma”, starring Alberto Sordi. In the movie he was an Italian boy very attracted by the States who, nevertheless, in front of a huge plate of Spaghetti (that he called “macaroni”) could not resist (“Macarone, io mo te magno” – “Macaroni, I’m going to eat you now”). A great picture of Italian cuisine in the world.

Pasta makes you fat? That’s not true. This is stated by nutritionists. There are no diseases, in fact, that can cause a complete exclusion of pasta from the diet, not even obesity or overweight. This is clear if we think that a quite large serving of 100gr of pasta without sauce provides 350kcal. A serving of the correct size seasoned with tomatoes or vegetables not only don’t make you fat, but, inhibiting sensation of hunger for long, it helps not to eat beyond meals too caloric foods.

Was Pasta brought to Italy by Marco Polo after his famous travel to China? This is a legend to discredit. Marco Polo came back from his travel in 1295, pasta arrived much earlier in Italy and, moreover, the one he got to know in China had nothing to do with Italian durum wheat pasta.

Pasta was officially mentioned for the first time in Italy in 1154 when, in what could be considered a tourist guide, the Arab geographer Al-Idrin mentioned “a thread-like food made from flour”, called triyah (from Arabian itrija, from the root tari, humid, fresh), which was prepared in Palermo and exported in barrels around Italy. In Sicily you can still find “la tria bastarda” and “vermiceddi di tria”. Nel Salento (Puglia), la “massa e tria” and “Ciciri e tria”. In the area of Bari, there is the “tridde” (diminutive of tria).

Pasta Italy is pasta production leader, with 3,2 million tons, which represent 26% of global production. Pasta is ever-present for 2,1 million Italians, who eat pasta at lunch and dinner 7 days a week.

Pasta lengthens your life. This is revealed by a research conducted by Washington University of St. Louis and published on Science Academy journal in the US: “A diet with low energetic content, composed for 46% of carbohydrates, lengthens your life, having a protective effect against several diseases.

Pasta is beneficial for prostate. This was the result obtained by some researchers from Illinois University (Chicago), who used 32 men affected by prostate cancer as sample: “To prevent prostate diseases, nothing better than a diet based on pasta with tomato sauce”. The research was published on Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Pasta sold in stores sometimes has a yellow colour, sometimes whitish. Why? Simple enough, it depends on the process. It is more yellow when it is teflon-drawn and when it is dried at high temperature; it is lighter in colour when it is bronze-drawn and dried slowly.

CasanovalikedPasta , definitely! The famous Venetian gentleman composed in Chioggia in 1734 a sonnet in honour of maccheroni. It seems that on that occasion he ate so much pasta to be crowned Prince of Maccheroni.

Pasta makes you thin. According to the statistics of Eurobarometer , in fact, Italians are the thinnest in Europe, thanks to the Mediterranean Diet based on pasta.

Pasta keeps diseases away. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, important scientific journal in the US, concluded that “a diet lacking carbohydrates can make people sick”.

Pasta cannot be missing on managers tables. A survey conducted by the Club di Papillon among Italian managers found that in a brunch they would renounce to: cakes, meat, fish, and appetizers. Pasta is the least mentioned.