The great pizza face off!

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara


Noodles and pasta aren't quite the same thing. The ancient Greeks had noodles too.

Looking at my posts thus far, what might give you a clue as to me knowing the difference ?


Come on, che. I don't go for that 'Instant Pasta' with a Saracen conquest of Sicily thang.

Firstly, you have the problem of pasta recipes being a tad scarce in cookery books from Islamic North Africa.

Secondly, I think that any transmission of a wheat based ingredient would have occurred much earlier, given that Iranians eat wheat, and that Iran and the various empires based there, have acted as a conduit for recipes, foodstuffs, exotic goods, art, science and peoples between China and the Mediterranean.

Sesame seeds and spinach and Roman wine and dates were all eaten in China, but the transmission was through Parthian or Sassanid hands.

The problem I have for China being the source of pasta is that the grains favoured in China proper were millet and rice.

Admittedly the armies of the Caliphate took rice cultivation to Spain (courtesy of the conquest of the Sassanid Empire who also grew rice) but there's a big difference between paella and cheung fan rice rolls.

I was referring however to a baked pasta, like a lasagne, and not noodles.

I really want some Shanghai dumplings now... damn.

[chequita guevara]