The unlikely origins of some of the world’s favourite foods

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You might have heard the story about pasta originating in China due to Marco Polo’s accounts of eating Chinese noodles in one edition of Marvels of the World, the book documenting his travel experiences from 1271 to 1295.

That myth has been debunked by food historians who, like Italian TV chef and food historian Anna Maria Pellegrino, have pointed out that “there’s no direct link” between pasta and noodles.

“The way they are cooked, the pots, the types of cereals used, the preparation, ingredients and toppings are completely different and specific to each civilisation,” Pellegrino explained in a Singaporean newspaper in 2020.

Furthermore, food historians said durum wheat, a key ingredient in pasta, could not have been cultivated in China in Marco Polo’s time.

There are, however, many foods that do have surprising or unexpected origins.