Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1858-04-29
Wacaroni Making.

into Amalf. A host of touters besieged us in
vain and as Domenico, the driver Of the coach
that brought US, usually gets fee from the
padrone of the inn for ever guest he brings, he
was eloquent in its praise. An army of beg
garS surrounded US, shouting for a" bottiglia y
and, thus accompanied we arrived al the door
of the Locanda del Cappuenii where the Don
Mattheo is something of q magnitico, and
seems to think it somewhat of a condescenSon
to play the host The fare and treatment are
very good.
] had a special object in view, which was to
describe the great branch Of industry by which
Amalf and the neighbOrhood subs ist
Where will you take US, Luigi" said to
my cicerone, ito see macaroni made ?"
Well sir Gambardella is the largest
maker" was the reply.
Off we went to the great -four prance Of
Amalf. A stream of water rushing down
from the mountains in front of great factory
marked the place we were in search of but,
before entering, l stopped to purify my shoes
from dirt acquired in the way. One rushed
to get water, another straw, and another a
brush
III skin this stranger p said the first of
my eager assistants "If don't get half d
piastre out of him-may | be hanged |"
You have made a mistake" replied, in
Italian. On which the whole party laughed
heartily.
The scene within the fabrica was comical
enough. \ crowd of men aud boys, halfblnd
with flour, and as white as caufOwers, sat
on lever humping mp and down. and making
it describe the arc of a circle. Grinding, sif
ting, mixing, kneading and pressing were all
going on in the same place the manufactured
article being taken to another place to dry
| With pencil in hand and book OF q sack, |
! began to take notes.
He is going to make story abOut me-"
said one of the men who had mustered around
US.
No, he is not" said others " he is going
to set up a macaroni fabrica in England"
Sinor will you take me with you Y' said
sharp looking, fair-complexioned young man
Fifteen hundred ducats only will set it q
going"
The poor fellow was really in earnest,
| believe, and was somewhat disappointed when
| assured him of his mistake
The grain used for making macaroni is Of
the very hardest quality, is grown principally
! in Puglia, and is known as SaragaIa. 1t is
washed in the mountain stream which flows
down from behind the city, and woe to the
weared traveller who is awakened at the
dawn of day by the numerous grain washers
The operation is cleverly and rapidly done,
and amusing enough it is to watch it. When
ground-which it is by the action of water
mills-the -four is sifted into five different
qualities The first is called Farina, which,
being sifted, is divided into Fiore and Brenna
The fore is used for making the ordinary
macaroni while the brenna is used Us food for
horses and pigs. The fore is itself again sifted
until yet finer quality, colled azemmatura is
formed. This is used to make a superior kind
ui macaroni. 4 last sitting produces semolna
the finest kind which can be formed.
The -four is well mixed in a large tub, in the
proportion of twenty-four carafa of water( a
caraffa being about pint and a half) to a
hundred and fifty Neapolitan pounds Of -four.
The quantity thus used, goes by the name of
a Pasta, and is put on large kneading board
At the farther end of the board long lever
moves horizontally by a swivel and, on the
other extremity of it, sit three or four half
naked girded men, who, for three quarters of
an hour move backward aud forward on kind
of horizontal seesaw describing diminutive
arcs of circles. In this way the lever is brought
to bear upon the dough- kneading and cutting
! it till it is ready for pressing. The men
remind one offgures in Egyptian drawings; stiff
and unnatural. IT'S hard work, however, and
there is always q relief party to take the place
| of the exhausted men. The last operation is
most important, as it gives its character ard
! form to the maCaroni.
There are various kinds of macaroni, or
pasta, reioicingIin different names, as vermcelli
! f,it
! flowing rocks semaza di meloni, melon seed
occhi di pernici, partridge eye capeletti, lit
tie hats stivallettion, small boots punt del
ago needIe-points The first is that long sort
! which we English use as dolce or au gratin.
| All the others are used to thcken soup, like
barley First let me speak Of the vermicelli.
| When kneaded, the dough is put into large
copper cylindrical vessel, hollow above ard
below but at the lower extremity is fixed a
movable plate, perforated with holes. When
held up to the light, it looks ike the section
of honey comb, being circular. On the top
of the cylinder is a block corresponding to its
size, and the whole is then exposed to the ac
ton of the press Screw goes the press and
| far below from out of the boleS of the cylinder
a series of white worms protlude their heads
Screw, screw again, and out they come, longer
and longer until having arrived at the leg-
innate length, they are cut off and so the
operation of screwing and cutting is continued
until the whole quantity of dough is exhausted.
The vermicelli is then hung upon poles for
drying, which requires usually about eight
days under favorable circumstances, a north
wind being always preferred, as sirocco wind
is preferred for the kneading With regard
to the smaller kinds of paste, they are made
by mixture of machinery and hand-work.-
Thus the cylinder being placed horizontally,
a man with razor stands by the side ;and, as the
dough protrudes through the holes, he cuts
it off imediately into small bts,-a simple and
-.:...;t;u 70 nnnthol nnnunh The SMALLEST kinds