Courtney Andrews
The noodle, in its essence, is quite simple: flour, water, maybe an egg. This dough can be cut, twisted, and shaped into a number of visually varying pastas, with the root substances remaining the same at their cores. And yet, the noodle seemingly encompasses the cultures of a number of peoples both within and across countries and landscapes. Because of its modest nature, the noodle can be, not only manipulated into varying shapes and sizes, but also dressed up or down according to preference. This innate human preference is often a result of culture, place, history, and tradition. This is exactly why it can and does play such an integral role as the staple food for drastically different cultures. I believe that by definition, the noodle is an important cultural relic comprised of wheat and water at its core, yet subject to variation in composition, shape, and culinary accessories as needed to satisfy the desires, as well as cultural, regional, seasonal, and dietary freedoms, of the creator.
In the Italian culture, pasta is a reason for the family to come together. The noodle is more than a form of nutrition, but rather it is symbol of family tradition and togetherness. Family and togetherness is an integral part of the noodle from start to finish. As illustrated in a number of class examples, but especially “2 Greedy Italians: Italian Family Lunch, Love and Food”, it was clear that enjoying an Italian meal was more than just eating together; it was a group effort to make each and every tortellini by hand, prepare the other complementary ingredients, set the table, and finally sit down to savor the meal together. The noodle, sets the stage for all of this. The noodle brings the family together.
In the Chinese culture, the noodle, in addition to bringing people together, acts more powerfully. Like tortellini, dumplings in Chinese culture set the stage for a gathering and a sharing of knowledge over pasta. As in Italian culture, members of the family gather to partake in the dumpling making procedures, but in the process, allow time to converse with one another and learn from one another, especially the elder members of the family. The noodles therefore also become synonymous with togetherness. Furthermore, in this culture, the noodle represents much more. As with many foods in the Chinese culture, the noodle can be directly responsible for health, wellness, and success in life. As is stated in the article On Food and Medicine, “the Chinese do not draw any distinction between food and medicine. What is good for the body is medicine and at the same time food.” Due in part to their emphasis on food as medicine, the Chinese evidently grant foods a much greater power-role in determining life outcomes. For example, at the very beginning of our course, we read a compelling and dynamic piece on the long-life noodle. This type of noodle in particular is not only a frequent guest at milestone gatherings in Chinese culture, but also quite seemingly a determining factor in the health, longevity, and therefore happiness of the consumer. Although it may be difficult to connect to and comprehend from an outsider’s perspective, this story makes clear the message that the noodle itself determines the lifespan of the consumer— “the longer the noodle, the longer the life”. The noodle’s role in this tradition and the overall eating culture of China makes it an integral part of the culture
The noodle plays such a large part in these countries because of its historical presence in culture and tradition. The noodle acts as a shared historical relic for both China and Italy, within and across the two countries. What is something that unites two places as radically different as China and Italy, and yet makes them, in a culinary sense, unique. What is something that links together the historically independent regions of each of these countries, yet allows for characteristic and distinctive qualities? The answer to both of these questions is the noodle. The noodle is an integral aspect of the various cultures and their histories throughout both countries. The noodle’s origin is typically attributed to the Chinese, with Italy’s adoption of it attributed to Marco Polo, yet this is not at all the case. Pasta was already present in Italy at the time of Marco Polo’s expeditions, therefore it is actually much more likely the presence of Arabic people in the south peninsula during the middle ages can be rightfully attributed to the noodle’s diffusion across the landscape. In a sense, the noodle appeared somewhat spontaneously in different parts of the world. Chinese “cake”, or in other words, pasta, can be dated back to the Han dynasty according to archeological evidence. Further, it is documented that “lagane”, a Etrusco-Roman pasta varietal that was typically baked rather than boiled, existed during the 1st century A.D. This long history makes the noodle an integral part of the diet, but also the history, tradition and culture. For example, a number of noodle varietals have become staples in important events and festivals. In China, sweet dumplings are eaten during the Lantern Festival, longevity/ long-life noodles at birthday celebrations, dumplings during the Spring Festival, noodles with gravy to mark marriage and moving into a new home (to bring a flavored life), and on the day of lunar Februray 2, “dragon head”, dragon whiskers noodles are consumed. Noodles are also tied to historical moments and stories: noodles called “dutiful son’s noodle”, “sister-in-law noodles”, “ashamed son noodles”, and “old friend noodles”, all relating to stories throughout history. Noodles have a distinct place in history, as well as the landscape. As documented throughout our studies, noodles vary by place within the country. From East China’s “Shanghai noodles in superior soup” to Southwest China’s “Guizhou noodles with pig’s blood and internal organs” and “Sichuan dandan noodles”, we see radical difference in noodle dress-up in China. From “Risotto alle Verdure”, “Agnolotti”, “Cannelloni” in Piemonte, to “pasta con le sarde” and “Pesce Spada” in Sicilia, we see variations in culture and tradition according to the landscape and historical presence.
Overall, the noodle reflects the culture, regions, cities, and people that cook them by adapting and transforming dishes that represent milestones and togetherness, which we see vary according to the landscape. The noodle means more than nutrition in that the noodle can be dressed up as medicine, a celebratory event, a powerful entity, and a reason for a gathering, all based on the complementary components that join the noodle in forming a special dish. The noodle, due to its ancient beginnings has witnessed much of the history and the beginnings of traditions in both of these countries, and therefore has been integrated as a component of such traditions. The noodle has been there since the beginning, making its mark in history, and therefore gaining and essential role in food culture.
