As part of the rolling study of Roskachestvo, the quality and safety parameters of 21 samples of durum wheat pasta under the following brands were studied: 3 Glockrn, Baisad, Barilla, BIO Granoro, De Cecco, Federici, Fine Life, Gallina Blanca, Grand di Pasta, Granmulino, HoReCa Select, La Molisana, Makfa, Maltagliati, Olliani, Pasta Zara, Don Gusto, Lenta, Rollton, The Seventh Continent, Shebekinskiye. These are the most popular durum wheat spaghetti among Russians. Most of the samples were made in Russia, with the exception of seven Italian and one German goods. The cost of the presented samples at the time of purchase ranged from 26 to 214 rubles per unit of goods (products with different weights took part in the study).
RUSSIAN QUALITY SYSTEM STANDARD
The standard of the Russian quality system, in comparison with the current GOST, establishes more stringent requirements for the moisture content of pasta, the acid number of fat, the presence of impurities in the composition and the content of flour from soft wheat varieties in the product. Unlike GOST, the Roskachestvo standard for the first time establishes requirements for the mass fraction of protein, which allows you to determine the use of low-grade raw materials in the production of goods. Also, the increased standard does not allow the presence of scrap or crumbs in the package, that is, high-quality spaghetti must be a whole, unbroken product.
Spirito dell Italia
The word "spaghetti" in Italian means "small ropes", which quite accurately describes the appearance of these pastas. In general, the inhabitants of Italy are very sensitive to their shape, taste and color, rightly considering spaghetti to be their national product. Although Russian standards set quite strict requirements for the appearance, taste and color of these pasta. So, a high-quality product should have organoleptic characteristics peculiar only to it. The surface at the break is smooth, glassy, and the shape is strictly in the form of long (more than 200 mm) single threads, having the shape of a circle in cross section. Taste, smell, color must correspond to this product category. All these characteristics, laid down in GOST, were included in the increased standard of the Russian quality system. In the course of laboratory tests, extraneous tastes and odors were not found in any of the samples. The shape and kink of all pasta were also called characteristic of this type of product. The only parameter for which deviations were identified was the color of the pasta. branded sample seventh continent had a non-uniform color with traces of non-message (white blotches), which may indicate either imperfection technological process when kneading dough, or on the use of non-premium flour. It is important to note that this product was marked as complying with GOST, which was not confirmed during the assessment of its organoleptic properties. This can be regarded as a violation of consumer rights to reliable labeling.
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In addition to the fact that spaghetti should look the right way before cooking, it is important that they retain their shape after cooking. The cut ends and differences in diameter along the entire length of the straw indicate the insufficient quality of the product. Moreover, this requirement is as strict as possible: after cooking, the product must have a shape that is one hundred percent identical to the one it had in the package. Laboratory tests confirmed that all products successfully passed this stage of the study in terms of maintaining their shape.
Burn after the test
The ash content parameter of pasta determines the purity of flour processing from which the product is made. She, in turn, determines the grade of pasta. Spaghetti made from durum wheat flour, presented in the study, should be as free as possible from any impurities. Their number in the laboratory is determined in two ways: in the first, the products are burned and the amount of impurities is determined by the level of ash, in the second, the crushed products are driven through magnets that can attract particles of various metals. It is important to note that the requirements for the metal-magnetic test in the Roskachestvo standard were tightened three times compared to the current GOST. According to the results of laboratory tests, no metal-magnetic impurities were found in any sample, and the amount of ash in all cases did not exceed any critical or even noticeable values.
The requirement for the presence of scrap and crumbs in the package was included in the state standard for pasta, which was in force in the 80s. This parameter is absent in the modern edition of GOST, but nevertheless it was included in the latest standard of the Russian quality system. The reason is simple: all over the world, spaghetti is considered a product that carries an understandable aesthetic component. In other words, broken, crumbled pasta removed from the package (especially if it is opaque) is unlikely to bring joy to consumers. This, on the one hand, is an old, and on the other hand, a requirement that has not lost its relevance, almost all the samples presented in the study were able to meet, with the exception of two products.
sticky story
Many are familiar with the difficulties in cooking pasta made from soft wheat flour: they are very soft, stick together and do not hold their shape too well. Spaghetti, made from durum wheat flour, is practically devoid of this drawback. However, some manufacturers in the production of pasta add soft flour to durum wheat flour. Sometimes an impurity can be detected at the stage of buying pasta. In laboratory conditions, one can indirectly judge the proportion of soft wheat flour in the composition by two indicators: by the content of protein and dry matter that has passed into water.
Starch in hard varieties of wheat has a crystalline form, while in soft varieties it is viscous. During cooking, solids, including a large amount of starch, pass into the water, making it cloudy. The current GOST allows no more than 6% of the dry matter that has passed into the water. According to this indicator, three samples of spaghetti could not meet the basic state standard. It should be noted, however, that branded products seventh continent and Granmulino were declared as complying with GOST, which was not confirmed, which means that the manufacturers of these products violated the rights of consumers to reliable labeling.
You can also indirectly judge the amount of soft wheat flour that the manufacturer added by the amount of protein. The more it is, the higher the quality of the pasta and the less likely it is that they contain impurities of another grade of flour. It is gratifying that in terms of the mass fraction of protein, more than two-thirds of the samples presented in the study were able to meet the increased standard of the Russian quality system.
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Each of the presented samples was also studied for the content of toxic elements (cadmium, lead, arsenic, mercury), pesticides (HCCH, DDT and its metabolites, organomercury pesticides), various types of mold and protectants of the grain from which it was made flour, and later - pasta. In the course of laboratory tests, it was confirmed that none of the specified parameters exceeded the mandatory standards. Also, laboratory examination did not confirm the presence of any pests in all the products presented in the study.
Spaghetti first fresh
The parameter that determines the freshness of flour is the acid number of fat. In fact, it demonstrates the threshold of freshness, when it is exceeded, pasta may begin to change, which will be reflected in their organoleptic indicators - taste, smell and color. As with the peroxide value, which determines the freshness of sunflower oil, the acid value inevitably increases with the shelf life of the product. GOST sets the requirement for acidity at 4 points, the more stringent standard of the Russian Quality System - at 3. As laboratory tests have shown, all the samples presented can be called fresh: the acid number in the goods turned out to be quite low.
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The parameter that directly affects the period and storage conditions of pasta is determined by the moisture content of the product. Like any other product made from flour, spaghetti must be "moisture balanced". In the event that the sample is too dry, the pasta will break even before it reaches the customer’s kitchen, and if it is wet, the risk of microflora and mold development will increase sharply. The moisture requirements for pasta, laid down in GOST, are 13%. The standard of the Russian quality system in this part has become slightly stricter: it has set a requirement of no more than 12.5%. All products presented in the study were able to meet the most stringent standards for humidity.
Showed firmness
Durum wheat pasta can be eaten even by those who are on a diet. Of course, this food does not allow you to lose weight, but it is unlikely that you will be able to quickly gain unnecessary kilograms from such dishes. Moreover, in Italy, only a product that is almost 100% made from durum wheat flour can be called pasta. In our country, when making spaghetti from durum wheat, some manufacturers add more affordable soft wheat to the composition in order to reduce the cost of production. It is almost impossible to notice this visually, moreover, even laboratory tests will not help to calculate its exact amount in the product. Existing methods allow us to determine only one fact: whether more or less than 10% of soft flour was used in the product. The state standard for durum wheat pasta allows the content of other types of flour up to 15%. The standard of the Russian quality system is stricter in this regard and allows no more than 10%. Only four samples could not meet the increased standard of the Russian quality system. Thus, the widespread consumer myth that most Russian producers falsify their products using soft wheat varieties can be considered unjustified.
Issued since 1824. Their homeland was the Mediterranean city of Imperia. And the parents are the Agnesi family. Today it is one of the oldest brands Italian pasta.
In those distant times, merchant ships sailed the seas and oceans, searching all over the world for the best varieties of durum wheat. The Agnesi mill, which to this day is the highest quality mill in all of Italy, received the best grain from the south of Italy, Canada, Australia and Argentina.
For nearly two hundred years, Agnesi has delighted consumers around the world with some of Italy's finest pasta. High-quality grain, the art of millers and the modern equipment of the factory make it possible to ensure this.
Klondike also presents on the Permian market sauces Agnesi (Agnesi)- high-quality and very tasty sauces prepared according to traditional Italian recipes.
"Dairy Country" is a modern technological production lines, high quality ingredients and strict quality control. All this guarantees the release of products with excellent consumer properties. Under the Dairy Country brand, a wide range of products is presented, aimed at customers with different preferences and incomes.
Sterilized concentrated milk
The product is made from whole milk according to traditional quality standards. This is real cow's milk, from which excess water has been removed. Add a teaspoon of concentrated milk to tea, coffee or cocoa - you get a drink with a wonderful rich taste. Sterilized concentrated milk can be used in the same way as regular milk - to cook various cereals, casseroles, puddings and other dairy dishes on its basis.
Whole condensed milk with sugar (GOST)
True connoisseurs will appreciate the classic rich taste of this milk. Condensed milk "Dairy Country" is prepared in accordance with GOST 1978. It is exactly what we love: thick, viscous, delicate cream shade. This is a universal product for cooking the most various dishes, ranging from milk porridge, ending with desserts. Condensed milk with sugar is an excellent addition to traditional hot drinks - tea, coffee, cocoa
boiled condensed milk
A jar of delicious milk-caramel treats is enough for a good homemade cake, and for a long family tea party. Even the most persistent cannot resist trying.
Boiled condensed milk "Caramel"
Fans of boiled condensed milk can discover a new product of the "Dairy Country" - "caramel". This is not just boiled condensed milk, this milk dessert is prepared according to a special recipe: it tastes and looks like caramel toffee.
Condensed milk with coffee
According to the established tradition, condensed milk with coffee is used not only for making hot drinks, but also as finished dessert. This is an excellent coffee cream for cake, sweet sauce for casseroles and puddings.
Condensed milk with cocoa
Chocolate is loved by adults and children. If you dissolve a spoonful of condensed milk with cocoa in boiling water, you get a cup of fragrant hot chocolate. And if you add it to the dough, you can bake chocolate cookies. Another option: spread cakes with condensed milk with cocoa - you get a chocolate cake!
Condensed milk and cream
Everyone loves to add a little cream to tea or coffee. And besides, this sweet product from the Dairy Country is also a wonderful sweet sauce for cheesecakes, pancakes and pancakes.
Condensed milk
Condensed milk is loved by consumers of all ages, from young to old. By changing the fat composition of traditional condensed milk, we not only achieved a lower cholesterol content, but also made this product cheaper. At the same time, the taste and texture of condensed milk, beloved by all, are completely preserved.
Frau Martha
"Frau Marta" is canned vegetables, well known to every Russian housewife and in high demand. "Frau Marta" is European production and management technologies, modern high-precision equipment and a multi-level quality control system.
Sweet corn
Corn is rich in complex carbohydrates, vitamins and has a high nutritional value. This gentle product is popular all over the world. Corn is one of the main components of salads and side dishes of cuisines of different nations.
Green pea
Canned green pea is an excellent source of vegetable protein. Peas "Frau Marta" - a dietary product: it does not contain spices, hot spices and preservatives. The solution that we add to prepared and jarred peas contains only salt, sugar and water. Peas are highly nutritious: if you are hungry, and there is no time to stand at the stove, a couple of sausages with a side dish of green peas will help out. And it’s simply impossible to cook an Olivier salad or a vinaigrette without green peas!
Beans in their own juice
Like all legumes, beans are rich in light vegetable proteins, they contain a lot of carbohydrates, vitamins and trace elements. Beans - protein base vegetarian salads a good meat substitute fast days. From canned beans easy and quick to prepare a delicious soup - it does not need to be specially soaked. Beans "Frau Marta" are prepared from the best raw materials and according to palatability in no way inferior to canned products of well-known expensive brands.
Beans in tomato sauce
One of the best side dishes for second courses is beans in tomato sauce. No need to waste time preparing it: together with Frau Marta, dinner is prepared quickly and easily. The dish turns out beautiful and fragrant.
Lobio in Georgian
Lobio is the pride of Caucasian cuisine. This dish is from the long-livers menu. "Frau Martha" could not ignore such a recipe and offers it to all supporters of a healthy diet. Ecologically clean raw materials, fragrant spices - nutritious and moderately spicy. Please note: with modern canning technologies, everything beneficial features products are best preserved. Tradition Georgian cuisine, you can serve Frau Marta lobio as a cold appetizer, or you can warm it up
Green beans
Any hostess will agree: nothing decorates vegetable stew like green bean pods. It is they who give this dish a real light taste. Canned string beans "Frau Marta" - a godsend for lovers vegetarian cuisine. Now you can cook stew all year round. In addition, green beans are an excellent filling for omelettes and a valuable ingredient in original salads.
Mixed vegetables in MEXICO tomato sauce
Introducing another wonderful recipe from "Frau Martha": ready meal – Vegetable mix in Mexican sauce. Red beans with corn and sweet pepper will appeal to all lovers of gastronomic novelties. The secret of the popularity of this traditional Latin American dish is in a special aromatic sauce. Most importantly, we managed to preserve its rich taste - this is the advantage of high-tech production.
Green peas "Canada Green"
Green peas are indispensable in cooking at any time of the year. This is a real delicacy, as well as a source of fiber and valuable nutrients that are beneficial to the human body. It is an excellent ingredient for many daily and holiday table. Produced from the best varieties growing in ecologically favorable regions of Canada.
Olives and olives
Both olives and black olives are the fruit of the olive tree. Whether it remains an olive or "becomes" an olive depends entirely on how it is prepared. In order to “get” olives from olives, at a certain stage of production, the brine, where the fruits are located, is saturated with oxygen.
To select the best producers and suppliers for the production of olives and black olives, Frau Marta experts traveled all over Spain. Frau Marta products are made using technology based on traditional recipes and with the participation of Spanish experts. This allows you to get a delicious high quality product and save all the useful elements and vitamins, which are in huge quantities in olives. For the production of olives and olives "Frau Marta" fruits of caliber 280/320 (medium size) of the best table varieties grown in Spain are used.
Pineapples in syrup
Pineapples "Frau Marta" - a natural and environmentally friendly product from Thailand. Canned pineapples are very popular, moving from the category of delicacies to the category of everyday food. This is facilitated by the increasing spread of recipes for dishes that were previously considered exotic. Pineapples are already often an addition to meat, they go well with chicken; are increasingly used in the preparation of desserts - cakes, fruit salads, served with ice cream.
Pineapples "Frau Marta", thanks to modern technologies and careful control of production, completely retain all useful and nutritious substances. To make them more convenient to use in home cooking, Frau Marta pineapples are produced in two types: cut into pieces and traditional rings.
Peaches in syrup
Impeccable appearance and wonderful rich taste, that's what distinguishes canned peaches "Frau Marta". Of all the possible countries where peaches grow, China was chosen for Frau Marta products - and this is no coincidence. It is China, where the peach cultivation culture dates back more than 4,000 years, that can be considered the birthplace of this fruit.
Canned peaches from "Frau Marta" in light syrup are carefully selected juicy fruits, carefully peeled and cut into halves. They are perfect for preparing light desserts, cakes and cocktails.
Shebekinskiye
Pasta
Pasta "Shebekinskiye" was created as a product that corresponds to the best examples of the pasta industry. All the experience of working with Italian pasta producers, including outsourcing in Italian factories, was used to produce Russian pasta, as close as possible to Italian in quality.
Almost ten years of sales statistics for the most popular Italian and Russian pasta products in Russia, as well as research on consumer preferences in the framework of our joint projects with VTsIOM, were the basis for the optimal assortment of Shebekinskiye.
InfoLink is the first Russian company that has installed Italian lines for the production of pasta of all three main types: long, curly (short-cut) and special formats (nests, butterflies, etc.). Today, the assortment of Shebekinsky pasta includes more than 30 formats, including a wide selection of special formats and colored pasta with the addition of natural spinach and tomatoes.
After analyzing the process of making a decision to purchase pasta and the offer of competitors, we have made the main competitive advantage of Shebekinsky pasta constant, the highest possible quality for Russian pasta.
The main problem of Russian pasta producers is the quality of hard grain and, accordingly, flour. We have abandoned the vertical integration of production to mill complexes, which allows us to choose the best grain and the best flour for the production of "Shebekinskie" pasta. To compile an ideal grinding lot for Russia, we use a special "grain" map of Russia. Only our specialists are able to analyze the presence of common wheat impurities in grain and / or flour through biochemical analyzes of protein polymorphisms.
Today "Shebekinskie" is a wonderful Russian pasta made from durum wheat, as close as possible to Italian counterparts, both in terms of the completeness of the assortment and in terms of product quality.
The emphasis on the quality of pasta has fully justified itself. In 2005, the sales of Shebekinsky caught up with the sales of historical market leaders - Extra-M and Noble, and in 2006 they were seriously ahead of them. Having tried "Shebekinskie" once, the consumer returned to this brand again and became its regular customer. This is also evidenced by studies of the degree of consumer loyalty to Shebekinskiye, which, according to the results of 2006, according to TNS Gallup Media, reached 70%, the highest among competitors!
The Shebekinskiye brand has long established itself among both wholesale and retail customers. Bright and colorful packaging with the famous "bird of happiness" stands out on the shelves of grocery stores among competing products. Today, Shebekinskie are represented in more than 50 regions of the Russian Federation, as well as in Ukraine and Belarus, and, despite the general stagnation of the pasta market over the past few years, Shebekinskie grow by an average of 25-27% per year!
cereals
In addition to pasta under the Shebekinskiye trademark, a line of selected cereals is produced: three types of rice ( long grain rice, round-grain rice, steamed rice), buckwheat, peas, millet and beans.
"Shebekinsky" cereals were developed as an umbrella brand of "Shebekinsky" pasta, which allows, with minimal promotional costs and simple packaging, to offer high quality products at a fair price. Various promotional programs for Shebekinsky pasta, including those on federal television, have a positive effect on sales of Shebekinsky cereals.
The most important thing in the production of cereals is the choice of raw materials. The higher the quality of the raw materials, the better and more useful the product will be, therefore, InfoLink selects raw materials in the most careful way, offering the best price for selected Shebekinsky cereals.
Constantly growing sales and good representation of "Shebekinsky" pasta and cereals in retail chains is the best guarantee of the quality of our products!
Some people think that all pasta is the same, and there is no difference between them, so you should take the cheapest one. Others, on the contrary, have extensive knowledge of the classification of pasta and have almost a dozen different options in the kitchen. Pasta is actually very diverse - not only in terms of shape, but also in terms of taste and composition. The choice of pasta is not something complicated and requires considerable knowledge - the only difficulty may be in finding products that have an optimal price-quality ratio.
Groups A, B and C
On the packaging of pasta, you can find information about which group they belong to. Group A is preferred over the other two. However, most pasta belongs to it. Sometimes you can find pasta of groups B and C - as a rule, these are the cheapest options, for example, "Red Price" from Pyaterochka and Perekrestok.
What does the phrase "group A" mean? The fact that the pasta was made from flour obtained from durum wheat, which contains a lot of gluten and little starch. Durum wheat pasta is tastier and has less effect on blood sugar (which is important, for example, for people with diabetes).
Group B pasta is made from flour obtained from so-called soft wheat; group B pasta - from baking flour.
Varieties
Pasta can be of the highest, first and second grades - depending on what grade of flour is used for their production. Now, in my opinion, only premium pasta is sold. I have not met others. Naturally, top grade better than the first and second.
Russian or Italian?
Why pay big money for Italian pasta when Russian pasta is just as good? — so argue many buyers. Often this question does not arise before the buyer at all: he takes a package of pasta, focusing only on the price, brand or design of the package itself.
Indeed, quite decent pasta is produced in Russia, and sometimes they turn out to be tastier than budget Italian counterparts. Another thing is that now many Russian pasta costs like budget Italian ones - if you take Italian ones made to order large networks(Magnet, Crossroads). For example, Shchebekinsky pasta made in Russia costs slightly more than Pasta del Ricci pasta made in Italy by order of x5 Retail Group.
In any case, the best Italian pasta is tastier than the best Russian; moreover, they are much more diverse - in total there are more than a hundred varieties of Italian pasta! And many of them are available in Russian retail. Handmade pasta stands out especially, but now they are already very expensive.
Keep in mind that now, with the development of globalization, Italian branded pasta is no longer necessarily made in Italy. A striking example here is Barilla - part of the pasta of this brand is made in Greece, so if this is critical for you, you need to look at the label on the package.
Some interesting facts:
- Italy produces pasta mainly from wheat imported from the US and Canada.
- All Italian pasta belongs to group A, because the production of pasta of other groups is prohibited in this country.
- As a rule, pasta of real Italian brands is sold in packages weighing 500 grams, and pasta produced in Italy by order of Russian retail chains - in 450-gram packages. Russian pasta is packed in packages of either 450 or 400 grams; 500-gram packages are much less common.
- Pasta of the most promoted Italian brand Barilla in Italy itself costs 1.8-2.4 times cheaper than in Russia.
Weight of packing
When comparing prices for different brands of pasta, pay attention to the weight of the package. Usually there are three options: 400, 450, 500 grams. Sometimes there are 200, 250, 350 grams. For example, pasta for 45 rubles / 450 grams and pasta for 50 rubles / 500 grams cost exactly the same in terms of kilograms, and some elite Italian pasta for 100 rubles / 250 grams more expensive than pasta for 50 rubles / 500 grams, not two, but four times.
Varieties of Italian pasta
There are just a huge number of them! I will mention only the most common, available in Russian stores.
Farfalle("butterflies", "bows") - one of my favorite varieties. They are easy to eat, they look original and beautiful. Small "butterflies" are called farfalette or farfallini. In Russia, in my opinion, pasta of this form is not made.
Fettuccine, pappardelle, tagliatelle- such long stripes with a width of 7, 13 and 5 millimeters, respectively. Eating them without proper skill is inconvenient.
Fusilli, fusillini- spirals, "spindles", if literally translated from Italian; they are made in large quantities in Russia. Fusilli are larger than fusillini; in general, "-ini" indicates a reduced size of the item.
penne rigate- tubes with oblique cuts and ribbed surface. There is also a subspecies of Penne lisce - with a smooth surface.
cannelloni- very thick, but short pasta with large cavities inside, which are supposed to be filled with minced meat and baked.
Lasagna- plates used for making lasagna.
- in fact, this is pasta (other types of pasta are not quite correct to call pasta). Classic tubes, quite thick and short.
Vermicelli- what we know as vermicelli. The name comes from the word verme, which means "worms" in Italian. This is a very thin pasta of medium length.
Spaghetti- classic spaghetti, long and thin. There is a smaller version: spaghettini.
Conchiglioni- giant "shells" that can be filled with stuffing.
Colored pasta
Of particular note is the so-called colored pasta. They, like their “colorless” counterparts, are produced in various forms. High-quality colored pasta is dyed only with natural dyes: red color is achieved by adding tomatoes, green - spinach. Cuttlefish ink can be used to produce a very dark color.
Colored pasta is more expensive than "colorless". One of the most affordable in Russia are colored pasta brands DonnaVera (Magnit, 45 rubles) and pastaZara (Crossroads, Victoria, 60-65 rubles). Both of them are made using only natural additives.
Pasta handmade
This paste is expensive. It often looks elegant and original, but it can also be quite standard in appearance. It usually costs 150 or more rubles per package, and the package may not contain 500 grams, but only 200-250. Suitable for gifts and special occasions.
Some brands, prices and personal impressions
red price- one of the cheapest pasta. They are sold in Pyaterochka and Perekrestok, they cost 9-10 rubles for a 400-gram package. The only pasta on the list that belongs to group B (the rest are group A). In my opinion, a classic example of a product from the "cheap and cheerful" series. The taste is pretty mediocre.
Fine- a good budget option. There are in Perekrestok and Pyaterochka, they cost about 20 rubles per 400 grams.
Just Macaroni- in my opinion, excellent, with excellent value for money. It is a pity that I met them only in one non-chain store, and then about a year ago. They cost 15 rubles / 400 grams.
Shchebekinskiye- regular pasta, nothing special. The price is too high in my opinion. In Auchan - 36 rubles / 450 grams, in Pyaterochka - 37 rubles, in Perekrestok and Victoria - 39-40 rubles.
Makfa- a little cheaper, but again not the best value for money. "Average" at a fairly high price. In Auchan - 32-33 rubles / 450-500 grams (depending on the variety), in Pyaterochka - 32-35 rubles, in Crossroads and Victoria - 36-37 rubles.
Veroni- are sold in Magnets, cost a little more than 20 rubles for a 400-gram package. Delicious, good value for money.
Now let's move on to Italian pasta.
PastaZara- In my opinion, excellent value for money. They cost 50 rubles / 500 grams (colored - 63-65 rubles, natural supplements). Meet in Auchan, Crossroads.
barilla- not bad, but too expensive. Overpayment for the brand and for a beautiful cardboard box. Pleases with a wide range, even in Russia. In Auchan - 70-75 rubles / 500 grams, at Crossroads - from 80 rubles, in Magnolia and Victoria - from 90 rubles.
Trattoria di Maestro Turatti- Crossroads, 49 rubles / 450 grams. Made in Italy by order of x5 Retail Group. Nothing special.
Pasta del Ricci- there are in Perekrestok and Pyaterochka, they cost 36 rubles / 450 grams. Similarly - Italy, but ordered by x5 Retail Group. Good value for money.
Donna Vera- sold in Magnit, made in Italy by order of CJSC Tander. They cost 45 rubles for 450 grams (in the "color" version). In my opinion, excellent value for money.
Italpasta- also made in Italy by order of CJSC "Tander" (Magnit). They cost a little more than 30 rubles for 450 grams. In my opinion, rather ordinary, but at the same time quite decent pasta. However, I don't want to buy again. By the way, it seems that there is another Italpasta brand, but I have not seen its pasta in Russia.
Maltagliati- original Italian brand; pasta of this brand is in Auchan and Victoria, they cost about 60 rubles per 500 grams. A good option, it is quite possible to buy.
Two main cooking levels
If in Russia pasta is cooked “to the end” and completely softened, then in Italy another method is common - “al dente”, when the pasta is not cooked “to the end”, and the middle of them remains a little hard and damp. It is believed that al dente pasta is healthier and tastier.
As you have already noticed, our company differs from its competitors in that we are not afraid to experiment and offer our customers useful novelties that have no analogues in Ukraine. To offer you the most sought after and healthy foods we must learn from the best practices of world leaders. Well, where can you learn about all the current trends in world pasta production if not in Italy?
From November 25 to 28, 2017, the international exhibition "Stili and Sapori" ("Styles and Fragrances") was held in the city of Padua. As you can guess from the name of the exhibition, this is not the usual format of a food exhibition, but with an emphasis on the sophistication of new and unusual tastes, styles and aromas. Just what we need! The Ukrainian delegation from our company "Mak-Var Ecoproduct" included its director and founder - Vartanyan Aleksey Arkadevich.
The business tour was organized with the support of the organizers of the Stili and Sapori exhibition (as part of attracting foreign business), the Consulate of Ukraine in Italy (as part of export-import assistance for Ukrainian business) and, of course, with the technical support of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
As you can guess, the Stili and Sapori exhibition presented all the taste and aroma of the famous Italian cheeses, wines and, of course, pasta (pasta). In this article, we will consider only one product - pasta or pasta, as they are called all over the world with the light hand of Italians. By the way, the word "pasta" for Italians is generally a synonym for the word "food".
There are just a lot of varieties of this pasta in Italy. The competition is huge! Prices per pack can range from 0.39 to 5 Euros. At the same time, for each product there is a buyer. But in order to win its customer, each manufacturer must offer something more than just pasta. And here the fun begins!
We all know that Italian pasta is of high quality, they do not boil soft and do not get better from them. All this is due to the fact that durum wheat flour is used in the manufacture of pasta. In Italy, pasta must be made exclusively from durum wheat flour.
For a Ukrainian buyer, it is enough to know that pasta is made from durum wheat and he understands that it differs from the usual soft wheat pasta in its taste and quality. For the Italian buyer, this is not enough. They have developed a clear stereotype - durum wheat grown outside of Italy differs in taste from Italian! They prefer Italian pasta, made from Italian flour, the grain for which was grown in Italy! How do you like such patriotism and support of the national manufacturer?
It obviously could not have done without active support and encouragement from the state. Confirmation of this may be the fact that from 2018 in Italy a law will be adopted that the manufacturer of pasta on the pack is obliged to write not only information about where this pasta was produced, but also about where the flour was made, and where grain was grown for this flour! In addition, you need to indicate how many percent of imported wheat can be in it!
Now for big manufacturers like Barilla, hard times will come. The whole point here is that the Italians produce much more pasta than they are able to grow wheat for this on their territory! As the Italians told us, Barilla has long been making pasta for export exclusively from flour made from imported grain. For Americans from American wheat, for Europeans - from European or any other, but not from Italian. Now they are quietly mixing imported flour into pasta for the Italian market. And from next year they will have to declare this “officially”. Italian experts predict that the famous trademark Barilla will lose some of its customers in favor of small producers who have close contacts with local farmers and work exclusively on local raw materials.
As you already understood, even the best Italian pasta in our supermarkets will taste different from Italian pasta in an Italian supermarket. It should be noted here that they won't get worse, they will just other. The difference in taste except gourmets is unlikely to be noticed by anyone. And when tasting by the “blind method”, gourmets will probably “get confused in the testimony”.
But let's get back to our sheep. Barilla and other major manufacturers were not present at Stili and Sapori. Their "styles and flavors" have long been known to the whole world. There was "exotic" in the likeness of our pasta "Health". We do not mean our analogues, there were no such even in Italy. This refers to the bias towards the health properties of the product.
We were the first at the exhibition to meet the Fracasso Lodovico company, the producers of pasta under the TM Molto Bene. They grow their own grain. They grind flour and make pasta. So do many. But not everything is so simple in "this kingdom"!
Everything is different here. There is a special preparation of the soil. The fields are framed by a 6-meter area of uncultivated land that "gives birth to an incredible world of biodiversity." The owner of the company said: "We have chosen varieties of wheat that best meet our interests and express extraordinary aromas to the maximum extent." There is a webcam on the field so that the buyer can observe the state of grain cultivation himself. Georeferencing to the terrain, control and management of machines via satellites are used. Grain is transported in special sealed bags to avoid contamination. Grinding is carried out on a special mill, which grinds the grain without destroying the grain germ. This is an old technology that has been passed down from generation to generation, protecting many secrets of production. After that, a certain proportion is selected different varieties flour for the production of the most delicious, healthy and fragrant pasta. In the production process, bronze dies are used, which leave their unique masterpiece pattern in the structure of pasta. The low-temperature drying mode for pasta is used - “as low as possible”. This is how you make the BEST PASTA!
We walked away from the booth with the feeling that we were extremely lucky to meet such a unique and rare manufacturer!
Approaching another stand, we heard a story about their unique pasta, which differs from other pasta in its quality, taste and extraordinary aroma! And it is HERE that they make the BEST PASTA!
After visiting several stands with the best pasta, we understood, Pasta is an art! Each manufacturer is an artist who creates his own masterpiece and evaluates it in the way that his fans allow him to. You begin to feel flawed if at first glance you are not able to recognize what is the uniqueness of this masterpiece!
But nevertheless, among this variety of exceptional and inimitable, we were able to consider those who were really distinguished by their unique products and target audience.
This is TM Legù, which was created by ITineri quite recently, in 2015. They could not boast of their history and ancient traditions, so they had no choice but to produce something really new and unusual. The starting point was one of the pillars Italian cuisine: pasta. But in order to be different from the whole variety of the BEST pasta, they decided to make them from legumes - white beans, chickpeas, yellow peas. 
Naturally they are made with bronze dies using low temperature drying, handmade and other attributes of uniqueness are also present here. The target audience is sports enthusiasts, vegans, diabetics and celiacs. For the latter category, they are suitable precisely because gluten is completely absent in legumes.
Having studied the main features and advantages of the Italian production of EXCEPTIONAL pasta, we came to the conclusion that our company JUST DOES NOT UNDERSTAND itself!
Until now, we have hid from our customers the fact that in the manufacture of dietary pasta "Zdorovye" not only a unique, patented recipe is used, but also a whole range of other advantages!
- Our pasta is made from durum wheat flour, which grown on the most fertile lands! 70% of the world's black soil is located in Ukraine, and one of the best black soil layers in Ukraine is located in the Vinnitsa region! This is where our production is located.
- Our pasta is made with bronze dies who leave their "masterpiece" pattern. They are pressed out under high pressure up to 100 atmospheres using vacuum kneading! This not only prevents the possibility of contamination of the product, but also strengthens the structure of the dough! If you make pasta without a vacuum, air bubbles are pressed into the dough, which expand during cooking, burst and the pasta may lose its integrity.
- used low temperature drying- "as low as possible." At the same time, renewable energy technology and respect for nature are used. Our pasta drying takes place on wood combined with electricity. The whole process is controlled by a special program that creates a special climate control of the temperature and humidity of the process.
- Handmade is present at all stages of production. Moreover, women's work is paid at the same level as men's! (This is very interesting in Europe). Even more, let's say we have a clear discrimination against men. According to some representatives of the company's management, men in packaging are not able to compare with women in terms of speed and quality!
- Works in our production 70% women.
- The recipe uses fat free natural herbal supplements. It is the removal of fat that allows products not to go rancid and remain usable for a long time.
- Our new line of pasta "Health" with herbs and spices will create on your table such an unforgettable bouquet of taste and aroma that cannot be compared with any other pasta! You will feel the piquancy of taste, unforgettable aroma and unique style of this product with the first spoon!
- And lastly, this is a Ukrainian product, you don’t need to go to Italy to get it. It is sold at a VERY affordable price in hryvnia. You can buy it in our online store -
A common opinion about the calorie content of pasta and their dubious value in the diet refers to a product from soft wheat varieties. The raw material for such products is ordinary baking flour. Saturation with viscous starch, high energy value and the almost complete absence of useful substances inherent in cereals are the characteristic properties of such pasta.
Pasta made from durum wheat has the opposite characteristics:
Due to the complexity of growing and processing, as well as the fastidiousness of durum wheat, products from it are more expensive than those from soft wheat. On the shelves of stores, pasta made from ordinary flour, as a rule, prevails over solid varieties in quantity. However, the proposed range of "healthy" pasta also requires careful analysis and study when choosing.
Selection rules
Intending to buy quality and healthy pasta, several factors must be taken into account. All existing pasta is classified into three categories: A, B and C. Marking "A" indicates that the products are made from durum wheat, the mark "B" indicates the use of soft varieties as raw materials, "C" indicates the presence of flour for baking bread. In accordance with these data, you should choose only products on the packaging of which there is an “A” mark.
Attention! The tricks of marketers can be misleading about the quality of pasta. For example, the inscription “highest grade” may mean the use of high quality baking flour, but not durum flour. It is recommended to carefully study the composition before buying.
Compound
The preparation of such pasta is carried out from two ingredients - flour of the appropriate grade, and water. Some recipes call for the inclusion of eggs. At the same time, the presence of egg powder in the composition indicates the low quality of pasta. Also, you should not buy a product whose list of ingredients contains the following names:
Some manufacturers offer colored pasta. Such a product is quite acceptable and even useful, provided that there are no artificial colors and flavors in the composition. "Color", in this case, is achieved by adding natural extracts and juices: carrots, spinach, beets, pumpkin and even cuttlefish ink. In addition to visual aesthetics, such pasta acquires the beneficial properties of the natural additives used.
Appearance
Classic pasta, without additives, should be yellow or cream in color. Excessive whiteness indicates the use of low-quality flour, and brightness indicates the use of artificial dyes. At the same time, the color may not be uniform, with a slight interspersing of black dots, which are the remains of wheat grain shells. The high quality is indicated by a smooth, as if polished surface of the product, and the low quality is indicated by the presence of roughness. Smoothness is achieved by proper drying technology and contributes to the preservation of properties and qualities during cooking.
Packaging can tell a lot about a product. So, a manufacturer respecting himself and the buyer will place the products in fully or partially transparent packaging. This approach allows you to evaluate the product on another basis - the presence or absence of crumbs or flour. Good pasta doesn't crumble. You can also try bending long noodles. If it is made of hard grades, it will turn out to be flexible, and if it is made of soft grades, it will break.
Advice. Pay attention to the tightness of the packaging. Storage of products for up to one year is only possible with sufficient sealing.
Italy is the birthplace of pasta and, naturally, pasta made in this country is of high quality. However, the spread of technologies and recipes allowed representatives from other countries to achieve success in this field. According to the rating proposed by the Roskontrol website, pasta from such manufacturers is of the highest quality and in demand:
How they behave during cooking
Subject to the recommendations and advice, the choice of pasta will end with the purchase of a quality product. However, the final test will be the preparation of the dish. During the cooking process, the total mass of pasta should double in volume, while not forming flakes and sediment. The quality of the product is excellent if the pasta does not stick to each other, both immediately after cooking and after some time.
It is important that the smell and taste are not in doubt, and the water remains clean after boiling. The cloudy color of the water indicates the washing out of useful components.
How to choose pasta for children
Given the vulnerability of the child's body, pasta should be avoided fast food and prioritize quality products. The following rules should be followed:
- do not buy egg-containing noodles (especially if you have allergies);
- carefully check the composition of colored pasta for the presence of artificial additives;
- do not be afraid to experiment with the shape and size of pasta, provided the composition is good.
Knowing what to look for when choosing pasta, you can enrich your diet with a healthy product.
How to choose pasta: video
