2000/08/01 by David Alexander
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Economics, Econometrics and Finance · #Culinary Culture and Tourism #Diverse academic and cultural studies
paper · doi:10.1111/0033-0124.00246
crossref issued 2000/08/01 · crossref published 2000/08/01 · crossref published-print 2000/08/01 · openalex publication_date 2000/08/01 · crossref created 2004/11/05 · crossref published-online 2010/09/17 · crossref deposited 2023/01/19 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · crossref indexed 2026/07/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
Pasta is as much an institution as a food in Italy, where it has made a significant contribution to national culture. Its historical geography is one of strong regional variations based on climate, social factors, and diffusion patterns. These are considered herein; a taxonomy of pasta types is presented and illustrated in a series of maps that show regional variations. The classification scheme divides pasta into eight classes based on morphology and, where appropriate, filling. These include the spaghetti and tubular families, pasta shells, ribbon forms, short pasta, very small or “micropasta” types, the ravioli family of filled pasta, and the dumpling family, which includes gnocchi. Three patterns of diffusion of pasta types are identified: by sea, usually from the Mezzogiorno and Sicily, locally through adjacent regions, and outwards from the main centers of adoption. Many dry pasta forms are native to the south and center of Italy, while filled pasta of the ravioli family predominates north of the Apennines. Changes in the geography of pasta are reviewed and analyzed in terms of the modern duality of culture and commercialism.