Vermicelli

Vermicelli(/ˌvɜːrmɪˈtʃɛli,-ˈsɛli/,UK:/ˌvɛərmɪˈtʃɛli/;Italian:[vermiˈtʃɛlli]), is a traditional type ofpastaround in section similar tospaghetti. In English-speaking regions it is usually thinner than spaghetti,while in Italy it is thicker. It is typically made withsemolina.
As defined in Italy, the diameters of spaghetti-like pasta are:
In the United States, theNational Pasta Association(which has no links with its Italian counterpart, theUnione Industriali Pastai Italiani) lists vermicelli as a thinner type of spaghetti.
The Code of Federal Regulations of the United States of Americadefines spaghetti and vermicelli by diameter:
In 14th-century Italy, long pasta shapes had varying local names. Barnabas de Reatinis of Reggio notes in hisCompendium de naturis et proprietatibus alimentorum(1338) that the Tuscan vermicelli are calledoratiinBologna,minutelliinVenice,fermentiniin Reggio, andpancardelleinMantua.
The first mention of a vermicelli recipe is in the bookDe arte Coquinaria per vermicelli e maccaroni siciliani(The Art of Cooking Sicilian Macaroni and Vermicelli), compiled by the famous MaestroMartino da Como, unequalled in his field at the time and perhaps the first celebrity chef, who was the chef at the Roman palazzo of the papal chamberlain (camerlengo), thePatriarch of Aquileia. In Martino'sLibro de arte coquinaria, there are several recipes for vermicelli, which can last two or three years (doi o tre anni) when dried in the sun.
Vermicelli, calledshaʿīriyya(شعيرية) inArabic, is used in one of the most common ways of cooking rice inEgyptand the Levant. The vermicelli is browned by frying with oil or butter, then rice and water are added.
InSomalia, it is used in a sweet dish calledcadriyad, originating from theYemeniʿaṭriyah(عطرية). The vermicelli is browned by frying with butter, then water, sugar, andcardamomare added until it has softened slightly. The dish is similar to the Indiansheer khurma; however, no milk or cream is added. Bananas can also be added on top. It is usually eaten as a dessert or as a side-dish with Somali spiced rice dishes.
Cadriyadis also a common dessert in certain parts of Ethiopia, particularly in the Arab-influencedHarar-ghe region, where it is known asattriyaand is served cold, often with a thin layer of custard on top.
Possibly due to theUmayyadinfluence,Spain and Portugal use a type of vermicelli calledaletria. It is mostly used for soups or desserts. In modern-day Portugal,aletriausually refers to a dessert similar to arice pudding, but replacing the rice withaletria.
Thefideois a type of noodle, produced in Europe since medieval times, best known asfideusorfidelis, which spread toMexicanandLatin American cuisine, and is often referred to by speakers of English as "vermicelli". A short noodle, typically a few centimeters in length at most, it is commonly used in chicken soup and insopa seca, a type of side dish.
In countries of theSouth Asia, vermicelli is available either as long strands or cut into about 2-centimetre-long (1 in) pieces. Vermicelli is known by various local names such as:sewiyuninSindhi;semya(సేమ్యాorసేమియా) inTelugu;sémiyawhen made with wheat, andsevaiwhen made with rice inTamil;semiyainMalayalam;shavigeinKannada;sewoiinAssamese;shemaiinBengali;seviyaninHindi,UrduandPunjabi;shevayainMarathi;simeiinOdia;sevinGujarati; andsemigeinTulu. The noodles are used in a number of dishes, including a variation ofkheer, calledsevayaorseviyan, a sweet dessert similar torice pudding. Vermicelli is also used in many parts of India to make a popular dish calledupma. To prepare it, dry oil-roasted vermicelli and pre-sauteed vegetables such as onions, carrots, French beans, peas, etc. are cooked together with enough water that can be absorbed by the vermicelli. Roasted cashews or peanuts are used as garnish.
InBangladesh, vermicelli is generally cooked with milk and consumed as a sweet dessert.
In English, the Italian loanwordvermicelliis used to indicate different sorts of long pasta shapes from different parts of the world, but mostly from South or East Asia.
Central AsiankesmeandPersianreshtehalso resemble vermicelli.Fālūdeorfaloodehis a Persian frozen dessert made with thin vermicelli noodles frozen withcorn starch,rose water,limejuice, and often groundpistachios.
In East and Southeast Asia, the termvermicelliis used to translate four different types of noodles.Rice vermicellican refer to a thin dried type ofrice noodle(Chinese:米粉;pinyin:mǐfěn;Cantonese Yale:mai fun;Hokkien:bí-hún,bee hoon;Thai:เส้นหมี่,romanized:sen mi;Burmese:ၾကာဆံ,romanized:kya zan). A second type of vermicelli is made from rice that has been fermented (Chinese:米線; pinyin:mǐxiàn; Thai:ขนมจีน,romanized:khanom chin;Vietnamese:bún). The latter are normally eaten fresh, rather than after drying. Thirdly, vermicelli sometimes indicatescellophane noodlesmade frommung beanorsweet potatoflour (Chinese:粉絲; pinyin:fěnsī; Thai:วุ้นเส้น,romanized:wun sen). Cellophane noodles turn translucent after cooking, whereas rice vermicelli remain opaque. The fourth type of vermicelli are made from wheat rather than rice flour,misua(Chinese:麵線;pinyin:miànxiàn;Pe̍h-ōe-jī:mī-sòa).
Media related toVermicelliat Wikimedia CommonsVermicelliat the Wikibooks Cookbook subproject