retaining the suggestion of prosperity, and spread to the south around the 12th century Noodles made their way to Japan by the 7th or 8th century, where several kinds of men evolved (p 578) Pasta in the Middle East and Mediterranean Far to the west of China, in the homeland of wheat, the earliest indications of pasta-like preparations come in the 6th century A 9th century Syrian text gives the Arabic name itriya to a preparation of semolina dough shaped into strings and dried In 11th-century Paris, mention is made of vermicelli, or “little worms.” In the 12th century — around 200 years before Marco Polo’s travels — the Arab geographer Idrisi reported that the Sicilians made thread-like itriya and exported them The Italian term macaroni first appeared in the 13th century and was applied to various shapes, from flat to lumpy Medieval cooks made some pastas from fermented doughs; they cooked pasta for an hour or more until it was very moist and soft; they frequently paired it with cheese, and used it to wrap around fillings Dumplings and Noodles in Early China Flour sifted twice, Flying snow of white powder, In a stretchy, sticky dough Kneaded with water or broth, it becomes shiny … Then water is set to boil over the fire, Waiting for the steam to rise, We hitch up our clothes, we roll up our sleeves, And we knead, and we shape, and we smooth, and we stretch Finally the dough detaches from our fingers, Under the palm it is perfectly rolled out in all directions ... we roll up our sleeves, And we knead, and we shape, and we smooth, and we stretch Finally the dough detaches from our fingers, Under the palm it is perfectly rolled out in all directions ...from fermented doughs; they cooked pasta for an hour or more until it was very moist and soft; they frequently paired it with cheese, and used it to wrap around fillings Dumplings and Noodles in Early China... Flying snow of white powder, In a stretchy, sticky dough Kneaded with water or broth, it becomes shiny … Then water is set to boil over the fire, Waiting for the steam to rise, We hitch up our clothes,