Four days of institutional meetings, business discussions, and promotion of Made in Italy. Four days of intense work in China for the Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, accompanied by a delegation of entrepreneurs, with the goal of rebalancing and revitalizing economic relations between Italy and Beijing, after five years of radical changes due to international crises. But in addition to economic and political issues, the trip also offered the Prime Minister the opportunity to immerse herself in Chinese cuisine. In fact, during her visit, Meloni had the chance to taste traditional dishes at two official dinners: one with Prime Minister Li Qiang and the other with President Xi Jinping.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in China
When asked on-site by Italian journalists which Chinese dish she liked the most, Meloni replied: «The spaghetti, even though I’m not sure about the exact name. They were in broth», trying to mimic with her hand the gesture of using a fork. Most likely, the Prime Minister was referring to noodles, an iconic dish of Chinese cuisine.
What are noodles, appreciated by Prime Minister Meloni
Noodles are a type of elongated pasta, generally made from wheat flour, but they can also be made from other grains such as millet or rice. They are a staple food in Chinese cuisine and come in many variations, differing in shape, size, and preparation. They can be thin and round, flat and wide, curly or straight, and are served in various ways: cooked in broth, stir-fried, or cold with sauces and condiments.
A gourmet dish of noodles in broth
The history of noodles in China
The origin of noodles is shrouded in mystery, but the oldest evidence of their existence dates back about 4,000 years, as shown by the remains of millet pasta found in a pot in China. Although it is difficult to establish precisely when and how they were invented, it is believed that noodles began to spread and diversify significantly during the Han dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), when wheat cultivation and pasta processing techniques made significant progress.