History of pasta - Part Three
Le origini della pasta secca
La pasta, intesa come impasto composto da farina di grano and hard water, but almost certainly is of Middle Eastern origin.
It was already well known to civilization with the greek-roman greek name of itrion, a term that changed in itriyya shutters in the transcripts of the works of Galen.
The first evidence for the production of dried pasta in Italy come from the Muslim Sicily.
The Arab geographer Al-Idrisi (1100-1165 AD), in his report, presents the island as the center of a major shipping:
"To the west of Termini is a settlement that s'addimanda 'at Tarbî'ah (the square): lovely stay, happy to perennial waters giving motion to several mills. The Trabbia has a plain and of vast estates or what you produce copies of pulp for export to all parties, especially in Calabria and in other countries of the Muslims and Christians: that if they send a lot of cargo ships "
Sicily was in fact (along with Puglia Sardinia), one of the most popular areas of production of wheat, whose outstanding quality was enhanced by Plinio. From Sicily
dried pasta made from durum wheat flour began, on the one hand, its slow ascent of the peninsula (from Naples and Genoa) and on the other hand, the conquest of the entire Mediterranean.
More or less simultaneously, always through the pressure of Arab civilization, pasta arrived in the Iberian Peninsula.
Another interesting clue to the early spread of pasta in the south of Italy is found in the Codex
Diplomaticus Cavensis, which speaks of a certain Mari, nicknamed mackarone.
This would tend to think that this food was already well known and widespread in Campania, and Sicily before.
itriyya The Arabic word, then deformed in Alatriste, tria, three and so on. Appears as early as the ninth century, in a text of medical Jesu Bar Ali, itriyya he defines as a "food flour in the form of thread ".
Other citations included in the Canon of Avicenna and Clavis Sanationis doctor Simon of Genoa, which clarifies that the three are derived from "an unleavened, and in the form of long threads.
Other terms associated with that of itriyya, in the writings of Arab culture, are "reshta" (quoted by Avicenna), "fidaws" and "mhammis and sa'iriyya (graniforme of pasta).
should be added that already in the third and fifth centuries, Palestine was in use a pasta itrium defined as reported in the Jerusalem Talmud.
If the center of northern Italy (Po Valley and Apennine ridge) are therefore to be in medieval times as a land of lasagna, ravioli, tortellini and ravioli, Genoa comes to life around a manufacturing hub, but also a central hub for exports of dried pasta, which arrived early, by ferry from Sicily and Sardinia, the main producers of the time. From Genoa
dried pasta was sent to Naples, Rome, Piombino, but also in Marseille and in strong competition with merchants Sardinians, in Barcelona.
A witness to the presence of certain dry pasta in Genoa comes from the inventory of assets drawn up in 1279 after the death of Genoa miles Ponzio Bastone, which speaks of a barixella plena de macaroni.
Already some years before, a Genoese doctor, excluded from the diet of pasta lanaiolo lissa, while in a document from 1316 tells of a Maria Borgogno "quae faciebat lasagnas.
Only in the sixteenth century, however, appear in documents can attest to the existence of a
category, that of fidelari, which will form a corporation in 1574.
The very fact, for fidelari, he had adopted the name of a form of dried pasta, the faithful, precisely, giving up to join the well-known corporation of lasagnari seems to reiterate a deliberate break with the past and northern tradition of fresh pasta.
In 1577 comes the adjustment of the masters of the art fidelari of Savona, demonstrating the tendency to expand this important enclave production of dry pasta in northern Italy.
In any case, note Silvano Serventi and Françoise Sabban:
"[...] faithful to its tradition of mercantile city, Genoa has built its reputation as the capital of the pulp through trade ... but not that its inhabitants develop a particular sensitivity to this type of food or give rise to a cuisine of its cultural value. I do not like the Genoese, and have never loved pasta more than the average of the Italians [...] ".
The first treatises on food, almost all of north-central area and on culture "rich and noble food, dried pasta and neglect the great privilege of long the fresh, soft wheat, simple and filled.
Out of 120 recipes found in the most famous books of the time, those devoted to "tria Genoese" of the Liber de coquina counted on the fingers of one hand. In the Book
de arte coquinaria Maestro Martino, first steward of the Sforza in Milan and then in Rome of the Popes, it comes to lasagna, ravioli, stuffed pasta macaroni but also to the Roman, Genoese and Sicilian.
In the latter case, however, it is not derived from a sheet of pasta, but a long roll of dough, more wheat, which fits in a shoe, it would be, thus creating the first pasta hollow section of the story.
a principle, as we shall see, applied to dried pasta, just by the Sicilians, as early as the twelfth century. The same
Martin warns, however, proving to know the custom of this dry food, that:
"macharoni these should be dried in the sun, and will last two or three years especially by making the August Moon."
In the fifteenth century, an order of the authorities in Palermo, but also similar documents relating to the activities of the port of Genoa, evidence of a habit to give to the masters of vessels licentia ExTraH pastillos, ie a kind of permission to withdraw during travel between 10 and 30 rolls of macaroni and vermicelli for "personal use".
In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, Sardinia, together with Sicily, was one of the main centers of production of dry pasta in the Mediterranean.
The main ports of destination of the loads were Barcelona, \u200b\u200bMallorca and Valencia (80% of the total was directed, in fact, ports Catalan), as well as Genoa, Naples and Pisa.
Note that both the islands, at that time were under the Aragonese domination.
On February 15, 1467 was sent from Sardinia a load of fideus for the table of King John II of Aragon. In
customs registers of Cagliari in the fourteenth and fifteenth century we find, in addition to obra de pasta, also the terms: fideus, noodles, findeos, or maccarons macharons and Alatri.
In 1371, authorities in Palermo establish a controlled prices for the "blank maccaruni simulation simulation and lasagna," which could not be sold to more than 30 money to roll, and "maccaruni of flour and flour lasagna" but that could not exceed 20 dinars.
The first paste is called "axutta" (dry), the second "wet" (fresh).
And 'interesting to note that despite the unquestioned primacy of Palermo in terms of production of dry pasta in the Middle Ages, vermicelli, the Corporation of this city is only in 1605, almost 50 years after that of their cousins, the Genoese, and 25 years after that of the Neapolitan vermicelli.
At the end of the eighteenth century Sardinia is quoted by Father Labat, traveling to Italy, as a specialized manufacturer of pasta "fine" and "figure" (in the shape of fish, vegetables or anatomical parts of the human body) the hands of the sisters, because:
"this activity does not require a lot of attention and does not stop them to chat, exercise common to all the fair sex, but especially to what is in seclusion."
Even from the early nineteenth century, however, the emergence of the star will Neapolitan shadow in this manufacturing hub, which over time will eventually disappear entirely from domestic production geography.
A Molfetta, Puglia, a royal decree in 1472 abolishing the tax on "them laborieri de pasta, noodles and the like as they do in dicta that if the city and if sent by sea in Venetia et lochi others to sell."
Also in the fifteenth century, the statutes of the city of Bisceglie speak of vermicelli "of Sembol.
E 'but only in the eighteenth century, places like Acquaviva delle Fonti, Gravina, Ascoli Satriano Brindisi and become famous in art "to have changed with semolina pasta and tiny fine." The pastes were
Apulian pasta rather sought, during the nineteenth century, gave birth to a "rich trade".
Between the sixteenth and seventeenth century there will be an important development and production of dry pasta will change from being strictly a housewife to a production system pseudoindustriale.
Campania will not be caught, the application first, and with greater determination, the technological innovations available.
then began a revolution that will pass through the discovery and use, before the manual brake, then the press to die.
Already known by medieval bakers, the manual brake will start to be used the only pasta in the sixteenth century.
In 1592, for example, among the items inventoried by a notary of Bari will appear "a kneading them with all fittings and poles"
However, in the Neapolitan (and Salerno) that this machine, based on the principle of the lever will be applied more profitably and determination, creating a production style that will impress foreign visitors passing through Naples and will be remembered (and praised), even by Voltaire in his Encyclopedia.
The same can be said to die in the press, which applies the same principle as the wine press, extruding pasta through bronze dies Moulded worked in various shapes, according to the shape and amplitude holes, will give rise to different shapes of pasta together.
The Neapolitan Giambattista Basile in Cunto de li cunti (1630), speaks of a "Jennariello, ch'essenno past eg the die, it Jeva mbruodo mo de maccaruni.
It 's the first document which is cited in the "die", then in use to make the dough.
Thanks to these innovations spur the dough begins to spread in the capital city of Naples and the ban of 1509 that prohibited, in times of famine and in the presence of the surge in prices of wheat, the manufacture of taralli, susamelli, maccaruni, trios and vermicelli is a witness to this constant process of familiarization with pasta of Neapolitan popular classes.
Without the press to die in 1579, there will be more charged to the corporation of Neapolitan pasta-makers, as required by statute:
"every shop should have it forcibly his talents fit for work, and kept in the custom and omnibus dett'Arte use with screw bronze, to what the work is perfection servitude to the public. "
The pulp produced will be defined with the press paste genius, a term that will become synonymous with high quality.
One of the corollaries of the so-called quality of pasta is the use of intelligence ever more frequent and exclusive the best raw material, durum wheat flour (we used, in fact, fewer hybrid mixtures containing wheat flour).
Another notice issued to Naples in the sixteenth century is, in this connection quite explicit:
"Macaroni, noodles and pasta made from other stuff ingenuity to be sold to the 87 grain roll, with express orders that they should de vermicelli do stuff that is absolute and bran of all perfection and goodness. "
The best wheat at the time, sought for the production of pasta, was the Saragolla Puglia, which will remain the best raw materials to the discovery of the equally famous wheat Taganrog.
The recipe for the paste is very simple and genius has been handed down by Paul Jacques Malouin in his book "Description des arts et détails du meunier, du vermicelier, et du Boulanger" in 1767:
"For 50 pounds of flour (25 kg) need 12 lbs (6 kg) of water to obtain 25 kilograms of dried pasta. The water must be very hot, especially in Naples, a little 'less in Genoa, if you want the dough softer and more malleable to work for more than 2 hours to brakes. "
2 more hours were needed to pass the dough on a lathe, resulting in about 4 or 5 hours of work, the 25 kilograms of finished product to be allocated drying.
The potential production of a die press at the time is therefore approximately 125 kg of pasta per day.
The knowledge of the craftsmen of pasta from Campania, the best wheat at their disposal (the aforementioned Saragolla imported mainly from Puglia) and above the funds made available by the early millers-entrepreneurs in the area, put a pole that will make it famous Neapolitan pasta in the world. We talk about the birth of manufacturing pasta at Torre Annunziata and Gragnano.
already documented in the Middle Ages, the activity of production of dry pasta in these areas, spread considerably since the seventeenth century. A
Gragnano multiply the initiative of the family-De Antonio Quiroga, the mills that grind the wheat (they turn 25), the same happens in Torre Annunziata, on the initiative of the Count of Sarno Tuttavilla Muzio, who will become, with bran produced in its water mills, the official supplier of the city of Naples.
The competition between the capital and the emerging areas of Naples, in the production of quality pasta must have become very strong around 1765 when Jerome de Lalande writes:
"[...] is Torre Annunziata, four leagues from Naples, which are formed in pastes for the workers, at least most, since the maccheronari Naples ordinary people who make the dough the right to prevent them from working in the city. "
At the end of the eighteenth century the 26 pasta at Torre Annunziata already producing about 445 tons of pasta per day.
The development of the industrial district of Gragnano will be a little 'later, during the nineteenth century: in 1859 are counted as many as 81 of the Archimedes presses for the production of macaroni, which will become 120 in 1863, and gave work to live hundreds of people.
A team of eight workers who worked on several machines simultaneously, in a day could produce up to 10 pounds of pasta per day. The dough becomes
daily food Pulcinella and one of its symbols.
During the eighteenth century, the dough becomes, in the Naples area and more generally in the south, popular food par excellence like and cheap.
