October 17 is National Pasta Day, just another reason to enjoy one of the countless delicious variations that pasta offers. But did you know that the history of pasta has long been surrounded by myth, but in fact goes back centuries, or possibly even thousands of years?
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There are various stories going around about where pasta came from. Usually people firstly think of Italy, then think of the romantic story of Marco Polo bringing pasta from his travels in China. But actually the history of pasta goes way beyond that. Even in Roman and Greek culture, pasta-like menus are mentioned - however, that time it was not boiled in water but cooked in an oven, so that it cannot be considered pasta. The most accepted story today is that its origins are in Palermo during the time of Arab occupation in the 8th century.
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About the modern history of pasta, Wikipedia says: "Pasta was originally solely a part of Italian and European cuisine owing to its popularity there. With an increase in popularity on a world-wide scale, pasta has crossed international borders and is now a popular form of fast food and a staple in North America and elsewhere. This is due to the great amount of Italian immigration into Canada and the United States around the beginning of the 20th century. Similarly an immense immigration of Italians into South Africa ensured that spaghetti and meatballs became an essential part of South African cuisine."