Here are a few interesting facts on noodles you may not have known:

– 3.2 million tons of pasta are produced every year in Italy. Pasta consumption varies considerably by region: for example, Sicilians consume 40 kg of pasta per capita per year, while residents of Trentino Alto Adige only consume 20 kg of pasta per capita per year.

– The first World Pasta Day [Giornata Mondiale della Pasta] was held in Naples in 1998. This holiday was created to celebrate the history of pasta and to raise awareness on its nutritional value, somewhat obfuscated by anti-carb diets.

– The Italian Presidential Decree 187/01 of 2001 lays down the law as regards how pasta can be classified. The Decree sets precise limits for aspects such as humidity, ash content, minimum protein content, and maximum acidity, by which a noodle can be marketed.

– Sensitive to the needs of those who are intolerant or allergic to gluten, the Italian pasta industry is constantly seeking new pasta recipes that do not use wheat. To date, noodles made with the following ingredients, alone or in combination, have made it to the market: corn, rice, lupin, quinoa, buckwheat, sorghum, millet, amaranth, lentils, tapioca, and folio.

– Check this video out for some industrial pasta-making action:

If this is the kind of learning you like to do, pick up a copy of Italian Through Food!

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