The Sweet Chinese – Italian Connection

The 2012 year of the dragon, Chinese New Year is quickly approaching on January 23rd (4710 in the old calendar as I calculated from Wikipedia).  And so, I started to wonder if there were any real relevant connections between Chinese and Italian food.  My curiosity, led me to do a little bit of light research which resulted in a much more interesting tale than I could have imagined.

Of course we all know the Marco Polo story.  Our boy starts off in Italy, makes his way to the Orient, kicks his heels back a while and then finally returns about 17 years later with noodles in hand.  And presto!  Macaroni is born. Continue Reading…