The origins of pasta are polarising, to say the least. A common misconception is that the explorer Marco Polo brought pasta to Italy from China in the 13th century. This idea was based on an extract in Marco Polo’s journals in which he describes a ‘pasta tree’ – now thought to be a Sago tree In Italian, ‘pasta’ can mean dough or paste, and the flesh of the Sago tree can be used to make a type of starchy bread, hence why he described it as a ‘pasta tree’. While pasta did exist in China for centuries before the Venetian explorer visited, he did not bring it back to Il Bel Paese. Though the Polo origin story is widely regarded as a myth, the real origins of pasta are much more difficult to pinpoint. Pasta certainly existed in Italy long before Marco Polo headed off to explore new lands, but its exact origins have unfortunately been lost in the depths of time. Some attribute its beginnings to the Etruscans, a pre-Roman civilisation found in central Italy. The evidence for this belief, however, is quite tenuous – a relic from an Etruscan tomb supposedly shows pasta-making equipment.
Some attribute its beginnings to the Etruscans, a pre-Roman civilisation found in central Italy. The evidence for this belief, however, is quite tenuous – a relic from an Etruscan tomb supposedly shows pasta-making equipment. Even if the equipment was used for cooking, it was probably for the production of testaroli – an ancient flatbread/pasta hybrid typical of Tuscany and Liguria.
Pasta for the People
Although the early days of pasta are disputed, we know for sure that pasta was widely enjoyed in Italy by the Medieval period. Pasta is depicted in multiple artworks of the age and mentioned numerous times in literature. In his 14th century work The Decameron, Boccaccio even depicts a hill of melting Parmesan cheese upon which pasta-chefs make ravioli and macaroni, before rolling it down to a group of ravenous gluttons… Now that’s some artwork we can get behind!Whilst scenes like this were reserved for literature, pasta was enjoyed by poor and rich alike. Pasta was a source of energy for the poorest in society when meat was scarce – and it was generally eaten plain. Rich nobles, on the other hand, would fill and cover it with a wide range of ingredients. Many of the combinations they concocted would seem strange today – they mixed savoury, spicy, and even sweet ingredients into their pasta.
Italy
It was not the Chinese, it did not come to us with Marco Polo. Instead he was born in the Arabian Sicily, and then he went back up the whole boot. Passing through Naples and Genoa. The curious story of the flat symbol of Italianness Difficult to find a more clear and universal Italianness symbol of Italian pasta.