Gragnano and the White Art
Gragnano is called ‘La Citta’ della Pasta’ – The City of Pasta – because its history of pasta making, the White Art, is 500 years old.
Indeed, the art of making pasta has been passed down from generation to generation, and the ancient techniques are still crucial in creating a quality product. In fact, the city and region are so important to the production of great pasta that in 2010, Gragnano pasta was awarded the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) mark, a European Community quality endorsement assigned in Italy.
The secret of the ‘Pastai Gragnanesi’ success relies on both the quality of the durum wheat used and the slow and static manual drying process.
Today the traditional skills are still important during the production process. The long and short pasta shapes are cut by hand and laid on the looms to pre-dry, before later being moved into the drying chambers (caissons) and finally packed. Some workers at the Coop have been there for 30 years.
