Jan. 4 is, arguably, the most revered and celebrated day of the Gregorian Calendar, save perhaps for Christmas and possibly Black Friday.
Well, maybe not. But each year, millions of people around the world, from Rome to Dubai to Falconbridge, take to their dining tables to mark National Spaghetti Day in ceremonious fashion.
Again, that may be a bit of a stretch.
But there is no doubt that the fine strands of semolina flour tossed in tomato sauce and generously garnished with meatballs are a global comfort-food favourite.
Spaghetti is fairly practically named. According to National Day Calendar, the name comes from the plural form of the Italian word 'spaghetto', itself derived from 'spago', which loosely translates to 'thin string' or 'twine'.
Beyond its name, the origins of this ubiquitous pasta dish are less definitive.
There is evidence of a spaghetti-like boiled dough dish called 'itrium' commonly consumed in Palestine from the third to fifth centuries AD.
A ninth century Arab dictionary references strings of semolina dried before cooking known as 'itriyya'.
A writing for Norman, King of Sicily, from 1154 mentions the manufacture and export of 'itriyya'.
It was in the 14th and 15th centuries that dried pasta truly took off thanks to its ease of storage, transport, and preparation. It was stockpiled in ships bound for expeditions to the New World and, by the 19th century, found wide appeal in American restaurants.
There, spaghetti was ultimately solidified as the dish we know today; cooked 'al dente' (to be firm) and blended with a mild tomato sauce, flavoured with cloves, garlic, bay leaves, oregano, and basil.
Now, all of this history has been gleaned from Wikipedia so take it with a sprinkle of parmesan.
But, whatever its origins, spaghetti has earned its keep as a staple dish of everywhere from five-star bistros, to greasy-spoon diners, and of course, is a family favourite around the table. Why shouldn't it have its own special day?
So, did you honour National Spaghetti Day? Share your photos with Sudbury.com on our Facebook page or tweet us with the hashtag #NationalSpaghettiDay.
