paghetti or pasta made from ground grain and water. Spaghetti’s origin is the Italian word Spago, meaning “thin string” or “twine.” The Berbers introduced pasta to Europe during the conquering of Sicily. The first written record of pasta in the Talmud in the 5th century AD refers the dried pasta as a portable food that could cook through boiling.
“The Pasta War is only the latest skirmish in a series of tit-for-tat between the United States and the European Community arising from alleged unfair trade practices. The last flare-up started when the Europeans refused to respond to complaints of discrimination against American citrus products. Sometimes it’s steel. Sometimes it’s chickens.
So the Reagan administration let them have it with increased tariffs on pasta. The Europeans cracked back with increased taxes not just for American lemons but, hang on, walnuts as well.
These are grown-ups at work? Right: shortsighted, small-minded, quick-on-the-trigger adults, playing politics for lack of enormous vision, strong leadership and concerted policy.” – The Washington Post, July 24, 1985