On Food and Cooking

are its moist, fine, satisfyingly substantial
texture and its neutral flavor, which makes it a
good partner for a broad range of other
ingredients.
Two cultures in the world have thoroughly
explored the possibilities of boiled grain
paste: Italy and China. Their discoveries were
different, and complementary. In Italy, the
availability of high-gluten durum wheat led to
the development of a sturdy, protein-rich
pasta, one that can be dried and stored
indefinitely, one that readily lent itself to
industrial manufacturing, and that can be
formed into hundreds of fanciful shapes. The
Italians also refined the art of making fresh
pastas from soft wheat flours, and evolved an
entire branch of cooking based on pasta as the
principal ingredient, its combination of
substance and tenderness providing the
foundation for flavorful sauces — usually just
enough to coat the surfaces — and fillings. In
China, which had soft, low-gluten wheats,