History of Pasta
The pride and glory of Italy, pasta is one of the most important food discoveries in history. Its simplicity in preparation and versatility in recipes has meant it has become a truly global food.
Italian legend says that Marco Polo introduced Italians to pasta when he returned in 1295 from his trip to China, but the earliest reference to pasta is 3,000 BC with the Greek and Etruscans. There is evidence that they learned to grind wheat, mixed it with water, rolled it out onto thin sheets on hot stones and eventually boil it in sea water. A process which has not changed significantly, even with today's technology !
With the growth of wheat farming and the improvement in harvesting process, pasta was a natural discovery. Since there are only two ingredients of- wheat and water - was a simple find, but one which has resulted in one of the most natural foods eaten worldwide today.
Naples 1910
Italy became a natural home for pasta with its warm climate and deep soils perfectly suited for the growth and harvesting of durum wheat.
Mass Production
Up to the 17th Century the Italians regarded pasta as a luxury foodstuff, but lack of money and the introduction of kneading, pressing and grinding machines turned people towards it and it was soon seen as an easily manufactured and economical food source.
When artificial drying machines were introduced in 1933 pasta became a truly industrialised product that could be produced in large quantities across the country. Up to this point factories dried their pasta on long wooden rods exposed to the sun. This was not possible in areas with high precipitation, so the new technology helped pasta became an all Italian product and part of the Italian national identity.
National Identity
There are two basic values that Italians match with pasta: it represents the tradition of the meal within the family and the sense of well-being bound to a healthy Mediterranean food.
Without doubt pasta is a symbol of the national character of Italy, something which they have shared and which has helped play a part in their reputation worldwide. The best of pasta is something which we at Roma we are delighted to bring to Ireland to you.
Roma sources pasta from the Tuscany and the Basilicata regions of Italy. Here the purity of the land, the clean air and the uncontaminated water makes them perfect areas to produce the many varieties of our pasta.