Pasta Traditions

• Pasta came to the United States in various forms via the many different immigrants from Europe and Asia. President Thomas Jefferson enjoyed pasta in the White House, and even designed a pasta machine! Today, pasta is a very popular staple food in the United States, enjoyed in hundreds of different ways.
• The first industrial pasta factory in America was built in Brooklyn in 1848, where spaghetti strands were laid out on the roof to dry in the sunshine.
• Top-quality pasta is made from durum wheat, which is grown in North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Minnesota, California, and Arizona.
• The United States produces 2 million tons of pasta every year, making it the second largest pasta-producing nation.
• The most popular pasta shapes in the United States are spaghetti, thin spaghetti, elbows, rotelle, penne, lasagna.
• The United States’ annual per capita consumption is 8.8 kg per year.

Food Facts

• The United States’ cuisine is truly a blend of many countries’ influences and tastes. There are many differing regional dishes. In general, dinner, when family and friends can meet, is the most important meal in the United States.
• Typical “American” dishes include hamburgers, hot dogs and sausages; fruit pies made with apples, blueberries, or rhubarb; potatoes cooked in a variety of ways; a wide variety of salads, and vegetable indigenous to the Americas, such as corn.

Fun Facts

• The world’s highest roller coaster is located in Ohio.
• Montana has 3 times more cattle than people.
• Alaska has a longer coastline than all the other 49 states put together.
• All modern trees are descendants of California’s state tree, the redwood.