The story of pasta is a long and complex one, full of myths and contradictions. The widely spread notion that pasta was introduced into Italy by Marco Polo on his return from the Far East in the 13th century is now thoroughly discredited.

In fact, the earliest indication of the existence of pasta as we recognize it today goes back to the 1st millennium BC, to Ancient Greek civilization. The Greeks had a word "Laganon" which denoted a broad, flat cake made of dough and cut into strips. This dough they brought with them when they colonized the Italian shores in the 8th century BC, and survived as "Laganum" in Latin, from which came the word "Lasagne" that we use today. The word "Laganum" is mentioned by Latin writers such as Cicero and Horace, as well as by Marcus Gabius Apicius, the most celebrated eater of his time, who mentions feasts with Laganum in one of the earliest comprehensive cookery books, De re coquinaria.

The first pictorial evidence for the existence of pasta comes from an Etruscan tomb dating from the 4th century BC, where a bas-relief depicts utensils that are used until today for the making of pasta: a jug of water, a flour bag, a large board for the mixing of flour with water, a ladle, a rolling pin and a knife.

Pasta was certainly known in Ancient China as well as in the Arab world. Noodles known as "rishta" were eaten in ancient Persia and are documented in cookery books of medieval Islam. What remains unknown is whether this Arab version pre-dated the Greek and Etruscan versions.

Some maintain that real pasta, as we eat it today, derives from Arab Sicily. After the Saracens captured Sicily in the 9th century, there are written documents that speak of the making of some kind of spaghetti in Palermo, named "itria", which in Persian means "shoe laces". This pasta is still made in Sicily today, under the name "trii".

The first complete pasta recipe is found in chef Martino da Como's cookbook in the 15th century and later on we meet pasta in Bartolomeo Sacchi's writings ( head-librarian for the Vatican ), from whom we learn that "pasta should be cooked for as long as it takes to recite three Pater Nostres".

Pasta is also mentioned in Boccaccio's writings. In one of the stories of his Dekaemeron he describes a far-off and wondrous place in which stands a mountain of grated parmesan and on which live a people who do nothing else than make macaroni all day. This is a proof of the fact that by that time pasta was already part of the Italian way of life.

From 1400 onwards pasta was no longer a foodstuff to be made only in the home but it began to become commercially available. But it is in the 18th century that pasta truly swept into pre-eminence. During 1700 there were 60 pasta shops in Naples and by 1785 these increased to 280. The climate of Naples was ideal for the making of pasta, which in those days was made and hung up to dry on racks in the streets. The hot winds blowing from Vesuvius and the fresh breezes from the sea dried pasta to the perfect consistency - neither too brittle nor too damp.

In those times the dough was made with a similar process as the pressing of grapes for wine. The mixing of the semolina with the water was done by the feet. This method was employed until King Ferdinand II paid a visit to a pasta factory and shocked at what he saw instructed scientist Cesare Spadaccini to invent the mechanical press, made of bronze. Soon pasta factories spread all over the country and the process was progressively mechanized.

At first pasta was mainly served with cheese and pepper and was consumed with the fingers. Once tomatoes were introduced from the New World at around 1800, the first tomato sauces made their appearance, mainly tomatoes boiled with salt and basil, and the four-speared fork also appeared, enabling a safer transfer of spaghetti from the plate to the mouth!

By the end of the 19th century, the whole process of pasta making became more or less completely mechanized and started to spread not only all over Italy but also all over the world. One may now speak of the pasta industry.

Today, pasta is a universally appealing dish for of all ages, all over the world. People of different cultures all over the globe enjoy the famous traditional Italian recipes as well as thousands of adaptations, according to their own particular tastes and traditions.

Pasta is made of semolina and water, without the addition of any artificial preservatives or colourings. Semolina is produced by the grinding of kernels of hard wheat ( durum wheat ). The semolina is mixed with water until it forms a dough. For special kinds of pasta such as egg or spinach noodles, lasagne or tricolore, additional ingredients such as dried eggs, tomato or spinach are added at this stage.

The dough is kneaded in vacuum until it reaches the right consistency, and then it is pushed or extruded through the various dies, which determine the shape of the pasta.

The pasta is then passed through the pasteurizers for sterilization at 80 - 90 degrees Celsius, where any germs such as salmonella are destroyed. It then proceeds through the automatic dryers which circulate hot, moist air, where the pasta dries slowly for several hours, depending on the shape and thickness of the pasta.

The dried pasta then enters the automatic packing machines, where it is weighted and packed in bags or boxes. The whole process, from the mixing of the raw materials to the packing of the final product, is completely automated and it takes from 6 to 24 hours to complete, depending on the shape of the product.

The shelf life of pasta is much longer than the two years marked on the packet, provided that it is kept under proper conditions, which is a dry and cool place.

As in all modern pasta plants, the whole production procedure followed at the Mitsides Pasta plant is completely automated, using electronic monitoring devices, without the need of any manual intervention at any stage of production.

Contrary to earlier belief, it is now scientifically proven that pasta as a meal is no more fattening than rice or pulse such as beans or lentils. Cypriots have only recently began to acknowledge this, and the consumption of pasta in Cyprus has not yet reached the higher levels of other developed countries, such as the USA, Italy, France, Switzerland or Greece, it is however steadily rising.

Pasta now constitutes one of the basic foods of the famous "Mediterranean Diet", recommended by nutritionists all over the world. It is a light and easy to digest source of energy, packed with precious nutrients and above all and contrary to earlier belief, it not at all fattening. In fact, many cardiological conferences conclude that the consumption of pasta helps avoid high blood pressure and cardiac diseases.

Pasta is rich in complex carbohydrates, iron, calcium, proteins and many B-complex vitamins ( Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin ) and is particularly low in fat and virtually free of cholesterol and sodium. A generous serving of pasta ( 100 grams ) contains less than 2 grams of fat and only 342 calories, representing around 14% of our daily caloric intake, while it gives 75 grams of carbohydrates and 13 grams of protein. The combination of pasta with simple sauces made of vegetables, lean meat, poultry or fish and low-fat dairy products can make a complete and delicious, low-fat meal.

In addition, the complex carbohydrates that pasta contains make it an ideal source of the precious energy that our bodies require.

Complex carbohydrates break down slowly and are absorbed gradually by the body, contrary to the simple carbohydrates that break down quickly and cause a rapid rise in blood sugar levels, something that may lead to cardiac problems.

Instead of a quick burst of energy, complex carbohydrates provide a "time release" of energy in the body, which is stored in the muscles and released when needed. It is for this reason that pasta is specially recommended for athletes, as well as children who are always on the go. Pasta is however equally ideal for seniors as well, as few foods are as easy to digest and as convenient to prepare.

In general, eating pasta and other foods rich in complex carbohydrates helps maintain good health in the long term, saves energy in the body and controls appetites.

Over the past few years more and more specialists in the health care field the world over recommend the "Mediterranean Diet" as one of the healthiest, most balanced and satisfying models of nutrition.

The Mediterranean Diet is based on the abundant consumption of cereals, fresh vegetables and fruit, using olive oil as the main seasoning. This diet was mainly followed by Mediterranean people not so much out of health consciousness but mainly out of necessity, due to the scarcity of meat. It has proved, however to be a most ideal nutritional model and is gaining more and more followers the world over.

Because pasta is a low-fat, low-cholesterol and high-carbohydrate food, it fits perfectly with this model, as well as with the dietary recommendations of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Guide Pyramid. The Pyramid is a graphic image released by U.S.D.A. in 1991, illustrating for consumers how to choose an ideal variety of foods to eat every day.

Pasta helps form the foundation of the pyramid as part of the Grains Group (bread, cereals, rice, pasta) which should represent the basis of our daily intake and which should be combined with lots of vegetables and fruit, small amounts of dairy and meat products and very limited amounts of fats, oils and sweets.

Eating according to this pyramid not only brings better health, but it also reduces the risks of developing heart disease, high blood pressure, certain kinds of cancer, obesity, diabetes and other diseases of the "consumer age".