Alimentary Paste

SHERWIN P. SOLLANO, RND,LPT

ND 121- Basic Foods II Lecturer
• The Chinese developed noodles as early as 5000 BC, and Marco Polo,
one of the first Europeans to reach the Orient, is credited with bringing
them back from his travels and introducing pasta to Italy and the rest of
Europe in the late 1200s.

• Pasta, meaning “paste” or “dough” in Italian, is made

predominantly from flour starch and water and describes
thousands of extruded foods including macaroni, spaghetti,
lasagna, vermicelli, and noodles

• Alimentary paste refers to the macaroni family and similar

products made from durum wheat flour, a type of hard
wheat with higher protein content than most hard wheats.
• These and other pastas are usually made from semolina, a
flour derived from durum wheat, although other flours are
sometimes used; flavorings and colorings can also be added.
The highest-quality pastas are made from the higher-protein
wheats.

• Durum flour’s higher protein content makes it best suited to

withstand the pressures of mechanical kneading and
manipulation during commercial pasta production, as well as
the heat during preparation
• The shapes by which pasta is identified are formed by placing the freshly made
pasta dough in a cylinder and forcing it through holes in small discs (dies).

• Pasta dough is best extruded at 115°F (46°C), because temperatures higher than
140°F (60°C) will denature the protein and reduce the pasta’s quality.

• Pasta can be called spaghetti (“little strings”); linguine (“little tongues”);

vermicelli (“little worms”); rigatoni (“grooved”); or fettuccine, capellini,
cannelloni, tortellini, lasagna, ravioli, macaroni, noodles, wonton wrappers,
and others

• Pasta, or “alimentary (nourishing) paste,” is made by combining water

with semolina flour and/or farina. Macaroni is a generic term for all
types of dried pasta.
• If eggs are added (at least 5.5% egg by weight), the pasta
product is referred to as noodles, although eggless noodles
areavailable on the market.

Asian Noodles
• Asian noodles are often made from flours other than the
standard semolina flour or farina, and as a result, are often
translucent or clear in appearance.

• Asian noodles may be made from rice, mung bean, taro,

yam, corn, buckwheat, or potato flours. Examples of Asian
noodles are rice, ramen, soba,and bean thread noodles
Pancit Canton
• an egg noodles made from flour and duck’s egg, salt
and soda; the dough is shaped, boiled and then drained
and deep fried before packaging.

Sotanghon
• a long, thin, wiry, round, transluscent noodles made
from mung bean and cassava starch which is also
called cellophane, nylon or silk noodles.

• Starch paste is first cooked then extruded into thin

strands, then sundried.
Bihon
• Made from rice or corn flour, the dough is
extruded then boiled, cooled and dried
• White or Fresh Bihon

Misua
• Made from cassava and wheat flour, hairy
noodles, usually salted
• Cheapest noodles
Miki/Pancit Miki
• Flat yellowish noodles made from wheat flour,
lye and salt; the mixture is flattened, boiled and
drained.
• Oil is applied on the surface

Couscous

Couscous looks like a grain, but it is actually “Moroccan

pasta” made from semolina that has been cooked,
dried, and pulverized into small, rough particles the size
of rice grains