The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-03-03
MACARONI FROM AMERICA.
Much of the FOOdstuff Sold I'm Italy
Is Prepared In This
Country.

1t will be severe stab to the pride
OF Italy to learn that the Americans
are now manufacturing macaroni, and
are actually sending some abroad, says
the New York Tribune Factories for
the making of macaroni are running
in Philadelphia, and the owners are
steadily encroaching on the business
OF the importers until it seems only
question of time when the macaroni
used in this country will be made en-
tirely of American wheat, in Amer
| lean factories by American workmen.
1t is all question of wheat At one
time it was thought impossible to
make good macaroni from any wheat
other than that grown at Odessa and
Taranog, but now Italy and Genoa
have>to share the profits of the bust
ness with the macaroni makers of
| Marseille, in France. With America
cutting into the race for wealth by
the macaroni route, the national in
dustry of Italy will be still further en-
croached upon.
The process of manufacturing maca-
roni in the Quaker city is the same as
that in Europe. Only the hard wheat,
which contains a large percentage of
gluten, is used. The wheat is first
| ground into coarse meal, from which
the bran is removed Great care has
to be exercised during the grinding
to keep the temperature of the room
at the right point, both heat and hui
Nudity being employed to insure the
result being satisfactory. The sub
stance formed by the grinding process,
sailed semola, is then worked up into
a dough with water, and for maca-
roni and vermicelli is forced through
gauges, with or without mandrels, as
In wire and pipe drawing; or, if pastes
are required, it is rolled out in very
thin sheets, from which are stamped
out the various forms of stars, rings,
etc. There is little difference between
macaroni and the fine, threadlike YER
micelli and the infinite variety of curl
GUS and elegant little forms which, I'M
der the name of Italian pastes, are
used for soups
Macaroni cannot be made very day
in the year, or month, or week. 1t
must be dry day, or the substance
from which it is made will not bind
properly. Good macaroni breaks with
brittle sound like glass. When
boiled it swells with an even swell and
does not come apart. The inferior
kind will often break fits own weight
and will burst in the boiling. A visit
to macaroni factory is of interest as
disclosing an industry entirely novel
to American eyes. The rooms through
which the factory proper is reached
are hung from floors to ceiling with
festoons of the macaroni drying. 1t is
everywhere, strung over parallel poles,
hanging from every place on the wall
where a peg can be placed, stretched
In doorwayS so that it has to be
brushed aside to allow the visitor to
pass through, and frequently strung
out to dry on the roof and in the yard
for want of room elsewhere.
The process of its manufacture is
worth watching. In a huge bowl in
the center of the room, bowl large
enough for half a dozen men to coil
up in, the dough is placed, big stone
coming down on this and hattening
it to the desired consistency, when it
is cut into strips like piecrust, dou-
bled over, and the big stone brushes
it again until the proper elasticity is
produced. Then it is turned into the
gauges and forced through the holes
in the bottom, plungers coming down
on it during the process, and so giving
1t the hollow form familiar to lovers
Of the delicacy. 1t reaches it's final
stage, ready for the drying. in the
form of hairpin, and in this shape
Is hung up. If it is good macaroni it
will not break while drying, but will
hang in the hairpin form suspended
by the bent part until it is dry.
All varieties of macaroni are made
in the same way. and whether it is
sold as vermicelli. spaghetti or just
plain macaroni, it Is manufactured
from the same wheat, deprived of it's
starchiness and allowed to retain only
it's glutinous properties. In this form
1t has been called lone of the seven
delicacies of the world" and in the
estimation of the Italians at least,
doubtless deserves that description.