Stock Up on Fancy Pasta Now

"Load up on linguine and stock up on spaghetti. In the new year, high-quality pasta may be a lot harder to come by in American stores. Several weeks ago, the U.S. Commerce Department announced that, starting in January, most pasta imported from Italy could be subject to a preliminary 92 percent tariff-on top of the 15 percent blanket duty on goods from the European Union. Outraged Italian pasta manufacturers are threatening to pull their products from American shelves."

"The affected companies, which include La Molisana, Pasta Garofalo, and Rummo, manufacture the usual penne and rigatoni as well as fancier shapes: tubular bucatini, spiraling elicoidali, and delicate rings of anelli siciliani. Notably, all of them specialize in "bronze-cut" pasta. This term refers to the tool, known as a die, used to extrude the pasta dough into shapes. Using a bronze die gives the pasta a slightly sandpapery texture, which clings better to sauce and results in a more satisfying bite."

A preliminary 92 percent tariff, on top of a 15 percent EU duty, has been proposed for most Italian pasta imports beginning in January. The tariff follows a year-long investigation targeting 13 Italian companies accused of selling underpriced pasta. Several major producers, including La Molisana, Pasta Garofalo, and Rummo, specialize in bronze-cut pasta, which uses a bronze die to create a sandpapery texture that clings to sauce and enhances bite. White House Press Secretary Kush Desai said some firms provided incomplete data and that tariffs could be recalculated if firms cooperate. An Italian agricultural group has vowed not to yield, threatening product withdrawals and potential U.S. shortages.

Read at The Atlantic