These pastes and variations of
them are made from the same dough; therefore, the tests for determining
the quality of one applies to all of them. These tests pertain to their
color, the way in which they break, and the manner in which they cook.
To be right, they should be of an even, creamy color; if they look gray
or are white or streaked with white, they are of inferior quality. When
they are broken into pieces, they should break off perfectly straight;
if they split up lengthwise, they contain weak places due to streaks.
All the varieties should, upon boiling, hold their shape and double in
size; in case they break into pieces and flatten, they are of
poor quality.
88. Since the Italian pastes are made from wheat, their food substances
are similar to those of wheat. As in other wheat products, protein is
found in them in the form of gluten, but, owing to the variety of wheat
used for them, it occurs in greater proportion in these foods than in
most wheat products. In fact, the Italian pastes are so high in protein,
or tissue-building material, that they very readily take the place of
meat. Unlike meat, however, they contain carbohydrates in the form of
wheat starch. They do not contain much fat or mineral salts, though,
being lower in these food substances than many of the other foods made
from wheat.
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