Elbow macaronidie: front view (left) and rear view (right)
Macaroni (/ˌmækəˈroʊni/), known in Italian asmaccheroni, is apasta shaped like narrow tubes.[2] Made withdurum wheat, macaroni is commonly cut in short lengths; curved macaroni may be referred to as "elbow macaroni". Some home machines can make macaroni shapes but, like most pasta, macaroni is usually made commercially by large-scaleextrusion. The common curved shape is created by different speeds of extrusion on opposite sides of the pasta tube as it comes out of the machine.
The wordmacaroni is often used synonymously with elbow-shaped macaroni, as it is the variety most often used inmacaroni and cheese recipes.[3] In Italy and other countries, the nounmaccheroni can refer to straight, tubular, square-endedpasta corta (lit.'short pasta') or to long pasta dishes, as inmaccheroni alla chitarra, which is prepared with long pasta such asspaghetti. In the United States, federal regulations define three shapes of dried pasta (macaroni, spaghetti, andvermicelli) as falling under the label of "macaroni product".[4]
InItalian,maccheroni refers to elongated pasta, not necessarily in tubular form.[5] This general meaning is still retained outsideRome and in different languages which borrowed the word.
Maccheroni comes from Italianmaccheroni (Italian:[makkeˈroːni]), plural form ofmaccherone. The academic consensus supports the position that the word is derived from theGreek μακαρία (makaría),[6] In turn, that comes from μάκαρες (mákares), meaning the 'blessed ones, blessed dead', the plural of μάκαρ (mákar), which means 'blessed, happy'; μακάριος (makários, from μάκαρ (mákar) + -ιος (-ios, adjective suffix)) and Μακάριος (Makários), 'Makarios' (Latinized form:Macarius), are derived terms.[7][8] The many varieties sometimes differ from each other because of the texture of each pasta:rigatoni andtortiglioni, for example, have ridges down their lengths, whilechifferi,lumache,lumaconi,pipe,pipette, etc. refer to elbow-shaped pasta similar to macaroni in North American culture.
However, the Italian linguist G. Alessio argues that the word can have two origins. The first is theMedieval Greek μακαρώνεια (makarṓneia), 'dirge' (stated in sec. XIII by James of Bulgaria), which would mean 'funeral meal' and then 'food to serve' during this office (see modernEastern Thrace's μαχαρωνιά (makharōniá)—macharōnia in the sense of 'rice-based dish served at the funeral'), in which case, the term would be composed of the double root of μακάριος (makários), 'blessed', and αἰωνίως (aiōníōs), 'eternally'.[9] The second is the Greek μακαρία (makaría), 'barley broth', which would have added the suffix-one.[10]
In his bookDelizia! The Epic History of Italians and their Food (2007),John Dickie instead says that the word macaroni, and its earlier variants such asmaccheroni, "comes frommaccare, meaning to pound or crush".
As is the case with dishes made with other types of pasta, macaroni and cheese is a popular dish and is often made with elbow macaroni. This is called macaroni cheese in the United Kingdom. A similar dish,Älplermagronen, with a base of cream and cheese originated in Switzerland in the 19th century.[12][13] In Great Britain, particularly Scotland, macaroni cheese is a popular filling forpies, often consumed as a takeaway food or at football grounds.[14] A sweet macaroni, known as macaroni pudding, containing milk and sugar (and rather similar to arice pudding), was also popular with the British during the Victorian era.[15] A popular canned variety is still manufactured byAmbrosia and sold in UK supermarkets.[16]
In areas with large populations open to Western cultural influence such asHong Kong,Macao,Malaysia, andSingapore, the local Chinese have adopted macaroni as an ingredient for Chinese-style Western cuisine. In Hong Kong'scha chaan teng ('tea restaurants') andSoutheast Asia'skopi tiam ('coffee shops'), macaroni is cooked in water and then rinsed to remove starch, and served in clear broth withham orfrankfurtersausages, peas,black mushrooms, and optionallyeggs, reminiscent ofnoodle soup dishes. This is often a course for breakfast or light lunch fare.[17] Macaroni has also been incorporated into Malay Malaysian cuisine, where it isstir-fried akin tomee goreng using Asian seasoning similar to said noodle dish (i.e.shallots,oyster sauce, andchili paste).[18]
