It's true. An Italian lady said it in Italian, in a book now available in English, detailing the delicious history of Italian pastas, which has been for centuries a staple of the region's diet (anyone want to buy me the book?):
she notes in her encyclopedia, dried pasta made with durum wheat was found in Italy starting around A.D. 800. It was spread by the Muslim conquerors of Sicily, and by the 12th century the maritime republics of Genoa and Pisa marketed dried pasta. “Documents exist to prove this, should there be anyone left — and it appears that there is — who still believes that Marco Polo introduced noodles into Italy in 1296 on his return to Venice from China,” she writes.
Of course, thanks to a lecture years back by Richard Bulliett, I already knew this. But it's nice to see it appear in the paper of record, thereby making it the truth for certain coastal stretches of the U.S.
Now all we need to find out is pizza is Islamic in its roots. Then, Hizb at-Tahrir will find its universal Islamic state nutrition. Where are Robert Ney and Walter B. Jones when you need them?
wow..first time to know that.. Thanks for sharing..
Posted by: buy carisoprodol | 18 October 2009 at 11:57 PM
Here's an article that shows the hand Muslims had in influencing the development of pizza: http://www.islamicfocus.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=166&Itemid=24#
Posted by: Muhammad | 20 October 2009 at 10:17 AM
And also the hand Muslims had in inventing another Italian favorite, macaroni: http://www.islamicfocus.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=463&Itemid=24
Posted by: Muhammad | 20 October 2009 at 10:19 AM
I just came back from Italy...food was awesome. I wish I knew this then. we rock.
Posted by: Shy | 26 October 2009 at 10:23 PM
Muslim also done so many inventions in other fields... But it is new for me...
Thanks for the info. keep posting.
Posted by: DanielJohn | 20 November 2009 at 02:53 AM
This is a fantastic, yummy to see this blog, nice colorful food, O i feel hungry to see that, let me have one, Thanks for share this Yummy article.
Posted by: Term Papers | 07 December 2009 at 06:10 AM
Haroon bhai, salams,
Much as I like pasta (and pizza), the fact that they may be partly Islamicate delicacies by way of origin is all well and good, but shouldn't we better make an argument for civilisation as a collective human achievement in our shrinking world, while giving the Islamicate contribution its due?
The pizza keeps changing anyway. Didn't the deep dish version originate in Chicago, and from wherever it originated Mirch Masala's Special Paneer Pizza in Leicester is a multiculti fantasmagoric experience of the first order. So, you are cordially invited, should you ever head towards the United Kingdom and specifically Leicester in the East Midlands, be more than welcome to sample the Mirch special.
Wa s-salam, yahya
Posted by: Yahya Birt | 08 December 2009 at 06:21 AM
I appreciate the work of all people who share information with others.
Posted by: College Research Paper | 09 January 2010 at 02:47 AM
Good post :)
Posted by: Haze Him Fraternity | 05 February 2010 at 03:19 AM
Not just that, but they also introduced the fork to Europe.
There was a lot of resistance amongst some Italians to using forks rather than their hands. One notable Italian noble insisted that "if God wanted us to eat like that, He would have put them on our fingers."
Posted by: SulaymanF | 12 February 2012 at 01:10 PM
Also they introduced the guitar to the Spaniards
Posted by: SulaymanF | 12 February 2012 at 01:12 PM