Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Domestic Pasta Pales In Comparison To Imported Italian Pasta

By Kaitlin Vaughn

Many chefs prefer to use only the truest ingredients in their food dishes and take pains to choose only the finest ingredients available. This particularity carries to their Italian dishes. Chefs in all parts of the world prefer to use imported Italian pasta over pasta that is produced domestically in America.

Pasta actually originated in China as early as 5000 B. C. It was Marco Polo who brought this food item back to Italy after one of his excursions to Asia. Italy delighted in this new found food and soon people began to replicate it. There are now over 600 varieties and shapes of pasta known to exist.

Unleavened dough made from flour and water makes the base for all pasta. Some pasta ingredients also will include using eggs for added flavor, texture, and color. However, dry pasta, if it is boxed or sealed properly, can be stored for months at a time while pasta with eggs must be used immediately or frozen for later use.

Italy has gone so far as to pass legislation that regulates the country's production of pasta. Namely, Italian law prohibits any pasta from being made by any flour other than durum semolina. Italians shun the use of great quantities of marinara sauce, preferring instead to focus on the pasta's flavor. They also like their pasta cooked al dente, or firm to the bite. Italians pay closer heed to their pasta and pasta dishes than Americans do theirs.

The United States offers its own varieties of pasta. However, many food critics agree that American pasta does not equal in taste, texture, and quality the pasta that comes from Italy. For chefs who insist on using authentic pasta from Italy, many online sites and gourmet food markets sell pasta that is imported from Italy.

Domestically produced pasta noodles are much cheaper than imported pasta. A box of imported pasta can cost as much as five or six dollars while a box of American pasta sells for very little, sometimes as cheap as a dollar. But many chefs and food enthusiasts refuse to consider using anything other than imported noodles. They claim that they get better taste, appearance, and quality from Italy's pasta.

Italian dishes are better served with authentic imported Italian pasta, so say many of the world's chefs. Its higher price does little to sway these chefs' favor to American pasta. They would rather buy imported pasta than buy that produced by American food companies.

imported Italian pasta

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