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Why Is There a Bucatini Shortage in America?

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Re: Why Is There a Bucatini Shortage in America?

#41

Post by kevin_thibedeau »

Scoundreller wrote: post #26
mewse-hn wrote: post #6

At the beginning of the article I was thinking surely there are more important things to write about, but it dives down a pretty absurd rabbit hole. Especially funny is when the pasta spokesperson begins commiserating that the reporter is making more work for them.

It's a good point though. Why/how is something unsafe for an American, but safe for an Italian or Spaniard? Differing regulations and standards between countries usually makes no sense and just harms the consumer. How is a Volvo made for the Swedish market unsafe on Canadian roads? EU and Canada recently signed a trade agreement so that they won't tariff eachothers' cars, but consumers still can't buy a car from a Eu…

Cars of the same model made for different markets have varying safety features. US destination Japanese cars have better crash protection than those made for their domestic market.

Re: Why Is There a Bucatini Shortage in America?

#42

Post by mxcrossb »

It’s an interesting reminder that a lot of simple staples in the US are fortified with various nutrients. It almost transforms your view such that it’s less you buying food, and more the government providing your provisions so that you’re a healthy worker. I found myself recalling an article on Britain’s National Loaf.

Re: Why Is There a Bucatini Shortage in America?

#43

Post by ncmncm »

Bucatini I can frankly take or leave.

But when gemelli disappeared for several months I was distraught. Nothing is better in mac'n'cheese.

I make it in a cake pan, less than an inch deep, with sourdough cubes and grated cheese on top, toasted to a crisp. The mac really is just there to hold up the cheese toast. But that doesn't stop me from putting in chopped chili peppers (not too much, 2 oz is plenty!), nutmeg, and a hint of cayenne.

Strozzapreti can substitute for gemelli, but it is even harder to find any of.

Re: Why Is There a Bucatini Shortage in America?

#44

Post by selimthegrim »

ncmncm wrote: post #43

Bucatini I can frankly take or leave. But when gemelli disappeared for several months I was distraught. Nothing is better in mac'n'cheese. I make it in a cake pan, less than an inch deep, with sourdough cubes and grated cheese on top, toasted to a crisp. The mac really is just there to hold up the cheese toast. But that doesn't stop me from putting in chopped chili peppers (not too much, 2 oz is plenty!), nutmeg, and…

Calabrian chilis sound promising

Re: Why Is There a Bucatini Shortage in America?

#45

Post by howlgarnish »

Scoundreller wrote: post #26
mewse-hn wrote: post #6

At the beginning of the article I was thinking surely there are more important things to write about, but it dives down a pretty absurd rabbit hole. Especially funny is when the pasta spokesperson begins commiserating that the reporter is making more work for them.

It's a good point though. Why/how is something unsafe for an American, but safe for an Italian or Spaniard? Differing regulations and standards between countries usually makes no sense and just harms the consumer. How is a Volvo made for the Swedish market unsafe on Canadian roads? EU and Canada recently signed a trade agreement so that they won't tariff eachothers' cars, but consumers still can't buy a car from a Eu…

In this particular case it's not even a matter of safety: pasta with 13 mg/lb, and as far as I can tell (read: Wikipedia) iron deficiency does not appear to be a serious health problem for most Americans (or Europeans). If anything, mandatory enrichment seems like an arbitrary trade barrier imposed on the US side to protect what the article calls "Big Pasta" from foreign interlopers.

Re: Why Is There a Bucatini Shortage in America?

#46

Post by howlgarnish »

Great article, but I have to admit I'm a bit surprised by the adoration here: I've on occasion accidentally bought bucatini when I wanted spaghetti, and was mostly annoyed by the tubes squirting out hot water when I tried to eat them like they were spaghetti. Any bucatini-optimized pasta recipes to recommend?

Re: Why Is There a Bucatini Shortage in America?

#47

Post by _huayra_ »

Scoundreller wrote: post #37
Sevii wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which makes me wonder what exactly the FDA is doing if it doesn't regularly test food for quality and safety?

Vaccines! But seriously, they do inspect a lot of drug manufacturing facilities, even overseas. As a Canadian, I trust their approvals more than Health Canada's. I suspect Health Canda just copies whatever the FDA does a few weeks later. Dunno why either haven't banned addictive substances (cigarettes) and let the non-addictive but fun ones get a free ride. But ya know.

Unfortunately oversight may not always be so great, especially for generics: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/05/12/7222165...

Re: Why Is There a Bucatini Shortage in America?

#48

Post by hardwaregeek »

howlgarnish wrote: post #46

Great article, but I have to admit I'm a bit surprised by the adoration here: I've on occasion accidentally bought bucatini when I wanted spaghetti, and was mostly annoyed by the tubes squirting out hot water when I tried to eat them like they were spaghetti. Any bucatini-optimized pasta recipes to recommend?

Do you finish the pasta in the sauce? That helps coat the pasta in the sauce, both inside and out.

Basically take the pasta out of the water a few minutes early, put it in a pan with the sauce and some of the pasta cooking water, and finish cooking it there.

Re: Why Is There a Bucatini Shortage in America?

#49

Post by legerdemain »

The article mentions the fact that the FDA calls all legal pasta "enriched macaroni."

The article also mentions trade groups pressuring the FDA to set arbitrary standards on pasta to keep out imports of Asian noodles.

The article fails to mention what the FDA calls Asian noodle products.

It calls them "alimentary paste."

Re: Why Is There a Bucatini Shortage in America?

#50

Post by mullingitover »

Scoundreller wrote: post #26
mewse-hn wrote: post #6

At the beginning of the article I was thinking surely there are more important things to write about, but it dives down a pretty absurd rabbit hole. Especially funny is when the pasta spokesperson begins commiserating that the reporter is making more work for them.

It's a good point though. Why/how is something unsafe for an American, but safe for an Italian or Spaniard? Differing regulations and standards between countries usually makes no sense and just harms the consumer. How is a Volvo made for the Swedish market unsafe on Canadian roads? EU and Canada recently signed a trade agreement so that they won't tariff eachothers' cars, but consumers still can't buy a car from a Eu…

> It's a good point though. Why/how is something unsafe for an American, but safe for an Italian or Spaniard?

We don't need to wonder! They explain it right in the article: protectionism. It's not really that surprising that a lot of regulations have nothing to do with protecting the consumer and are all about protecting the parties that really matter to governments: big domestic industries.

> Around World War II, Carl explained, the established noodle industry (henceforth referred to as Big Pasta) was “upset” by the introduction of Nissin’s ramen noodles into the country, which were “completely out of spec” with what the United States then recognized as noodles — specifically because the ramen was being sold for a lower price and with what Carl called “lower standards” of nutrition. “They were really pressed,” said Carl. That’s when the “standards of identity” were created: Big Pasta made sure that all noodles had to meet certain specifications to be considered “enriched macaroni products” and sold in the United States.

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