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Pasta Sicilian Style
During the Arab domination of Sicily (827-1060), Palermo was the heart of commerce and exchange and one of the most important centers of the known world.
In this period, agriculture was expanded, the Arab system of irrigation and the cultivation of citrus fruits and rice was introduced. The products of Palermo’s manufacturers were present all over Europe: jewelers produced precious and artistic masterpieces, fabulous textiles and dry goods were made, paper factories were raised to replace the expensive parchment.
This was a golden period in the history of this city: splendid buildings were built, an urban plane was conceived, and businesses and trades boomed.
The first pasta factory in the world was established in Trabia, a small town outside Palermo; it was selected for its slightly humid climate, for the mild temperature, for the crystalline spring water without calcium or any other impurities and for the quality of the local grain, the durum wheat: these are necessary attributes to make good pasta.
Now in Trabia, pasta is made on a smaller scale, but the system and the art of making pasta from Trabia spread all over Italy and now Italy is the world’s biggest producer of pasta.
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