Over the years, pasta has increasingly become one of the most consumed dishes in different parts of the globe. However, the history of this cuisine can be traced back to in the southern part of Italy. Traditionally, southern Italy was considered a region less developed than the other regions of the country. The consumption of this meal in this area grew due to different reasons that range from socio-economic status of the people and political differences developed by the society.
Considerably, pasta had become the staple food in southern Italy by the 17th century and individuals from this region were later nicknamed macaroni eaters. The increase in the consumption of the commodity was largely promoted by the strict religious policies of the people in this region (López n.p). Notably, the faith of people in this region restricted the consumption of meat thus limited the varieties available for the residents in the southern part of Italy. With the increased restrictions to access of meat, most of the rich merchants took advantage and increased the supply of wheat. Resultantly, the commodity become cheap and readily available to the poor population that made up almost 90% of the total members of the that society (López n.p)
Secondly, the increase in consumption of pasta in southern Italy was promoted by the passion of the people towards the cuisine. The people have over the years modified its methods of preparation and the sweetness of the meal has been replaced by vegetables thus making it a complete dish. Additionally, other ingredients were over the years used in increasing the nutrition content of the food including potatoes (López n.p). These additions have to some extent promoted the consumption of the meal as it helps the community add different flavors to the meal.
Work Cited
López, Alfonso. “The Twisted History Of Pasta”. Nationalgeographic.Com, 2018, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/archaeology-and-history/magazine/2016/07-08/daily-life-pasta-italy-neapolitan-diet/.