76 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XVIII. No. 444 



SCIENCE: 



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THE PREPARATION OF MACARONE IN ITALY. 



Macaroni is the semoule, or flour of wheat, moistened with 

 water, kneaded until it assumes the requisite consistency, cut or 

 pressed into the desired shape, and thoroughly dried. When 

 wheaten flour is agitated in a large quantity of water, the starchy 

 substances are dissolved, leaving a tough fibrous mass, which is 

 gluten. Gluten contains nitrogen, while starch does not; hence 

 the semoule or flour that contains the most gluten is the most 

 nutritious. As compared with gluten, starch has but little 

 strength; hence macaroni that is rich in gluten is not only the 

 most nutritious, but is stronger, thereby preserving its shape while 

 being dried and cooked. 



The United States Consul-General at Rome says that for the best 

 macaroni, the hard, semi-translucent varieties of wheat grown in 

 warm countries, which contain a large proportion of gluten, are 

 used in the form of semoule ; for the cheaper grades common flour 

 is used. Any intermediate grade can be made by mixing the two 

 in various proportions. There are no statistics giving the quan- 

 tity of macaroni made in Italy; but, as it constitutes one of the 

 chief articles of food, the quantity must be exceedingly great. 

 There are many large establishments manufacturing it by steam- 

 power, and probably many thousands worked entirely by hand- 

 power, and employing from three to five or six hands each. It is 

 also an article of daily household production in a large proportion 

 of Italian families. In the household the appliances are exceed- 

 ingly simple — a smooth board, a piece of marble for kneading, 

 and a common rolling-pin. One pound of flour is mixed with four 

 or five eggs, moistened with hot water, kneaded a few minutes, 

 and then rolled out very thin with the rohing-pin. After drying 

 on the kneading-board for fifteen or twenty minutes, until the 

 surface loses its adhesiveness, it is rolled up tightly, and thin 

 slices are cut from the ends. The slices falling apart constitute 

 strings of macaroni, and are ready for use. The macaroni fac- 

 tory which is worked by hand often consists of but one room, ex- 

 clusive of the drying-rooms. The proprietor, with one or two 

 workmen, makes the macaroni, and the wife sells it. The ma- 

 chinery is inexpensive, and the hired labor costs but little. 



Artificial heat is seldom employed for drying, but the manufac- 

 ture is often carried on in connection with the baking business. 

 In this case, the drying-rooms would be above the ovens, and 



warmed somewhat by the waste heat. The result is, that these 

 small establishments can successfully compete with the larger 

 factories that are worked by steam-power. Their machinery 

 generally consists of a mixer, a kneader, and a press. The mixer 

 may be described as a semi-circular trough, having a hinged 

 cover. Through the trough runs an iron shaft, having a number 

 of projecting arms, with a crank on one end. About one hundred 

 pounds of semoule or flour, or a mixture of both, according to the 

 quality of the macaroni desired to be produced, is placed in wooden 

 troughs, that stand in front of the mixer. To this is added a 

 sufficient quantity of water, at about 160'^ F., containing in solu- 

 tion a small quantity of saffron, to give the macaroni the desired 

 color. It is then mixed by hand for a few minutes, in order to 

 fairly distribute the water, after which it is put into the mixer. 

 The lid being closed, a workman turns the crank for about twenty 

 minutes, when the contents ai-e found to be converted by the ac- 

 tion of the arms attached to the crank shaft, into a stiff dough. 



From the mixer the dough is taken to the kneading-tablc. 

 This is made in a number of ways. One of the most common in 

 the neighborhood of Rome consists of a kneading-plank about 

 forty inches long, thirty-two inches wide at the inner end, and 

 forty inches at the outer end, with sides to keep the dough from 

 falling out. It is solidly made of hard wood two and a half to 

 three inches thick, and firmly attached to the floor and wall. 

 The kneading is generally done by two or three men with a long 

 bar attached by a swivel joint to the wall at the back of the table. 

 This bar is about sixteen feet long, ten inches deep next to the 

 wall, and three inches at the other end. The part next to the 

 dough is bevelled to the shape of a blunt wedge with a rounded 

 edge. The bar is worked up and down on the dough, and being 

 fastened at the end exerts a tremendous and crushing force. Be- 

 ing made of a tough, elastic wood, it both readily sustains the full 

 weight of the men when pressed down, and springs back above 

 the dough sufficiently to allow it to be moved a little, and brought 

 down on another part. This kneading continues for about twen- 

 ty-five minutes, when the dough is ready for the press. 



In some places the table is a straight plank about eight to teo 

 feet long and fifteen inches wide, with sides to hold the dough in 

 position The kneading is done by means of a drum about four 

 feet in diameter, and the width of the plank. It is worked hack- 

 wards and forwards by means of an upright capstan, about twelve 

 inches in diameter, with a rope coiled round it and around suita- 

 ble mechanism on the drum. 



As soon as the dough is in a suitable condition, it is taken to the 

 press, which consists chiefly of a cylinder about eight to ten inches 

 in diameter, and twenty to twenty-four inches long, a plunger 

 that fits the interior accurately, and a die plate that rests on a 

 shoulder cast on the lower portion. The plunger is forced down 

 by a screw, which is suitably connected, by working with a crank 

 by hand. While one man mixes the dough, another turns the 

 crank to press it, and the third takes the macaroni as it leaves the 

 dies, cuts it into suitable lengths, and hangs it on light cane or 

 bamboo sticks about five or six feet in length, ready to be carried 

 to the drying-room. The press is heated to about 160° F. by 

 means of a small pot of live coals, which is placed inside the cyl- 

 inder a few minutes before pressing begins. From the presses the 

 long macaroni is carried on light bamboo sticks to the drying- 

 rooms. The small and fancy shapes are dried on screens. These 

 are wooden frames about two feet by six, covered with a coarse 

 cloth, so as to allow the air to freely circulate. A brace across 

 the middle of the frame serves as a handle. The small and fancy 

 macaroni is made in horizontal presses. Cutters revolving more 

 or less rapidly near the face of the die. according to the length re- 

 quired, cut it into any desired length. The speed of the cutters is 

 regulated by a pair of cone pulleys. 



The drying of the macaroni is the most difficult and delicate 

 part of the manufacture, and depends much upon the state of the 

 atmosphere. It is first dried in the open air, the time in the sun 

 or shade depending on the temperature and dryness of the atmos- 

 phere, from half an hour to three hours; the time also depends to 

 some extent on the size of the macaroni. It is then carried to a 

 close damp room, where it remains about twenty-four hours. If 

 the room is not sufficiently damp it must be kept so by artificial 



