Even Alex Guarnaschelli Didn't Know This Weird Spaghetti Fact
You've seen Alex Guarnaschelli share her extensive knowledge of the culinary world on shows like "Chopped" and "The Kitchen," but the chef doesn't stop there. The 49-year-old is also very active on Twitter, where she frequently comes to the aid of fans that reach out to her when they are confused by an ingredient or piece of equipment, or have a question about one of the many Food Network shows she appears on. One of the most recent inquiries presented to the restaurateur was by a Twitter user, who observed something interesting about spaghetti while watching a few old movies. "Spaghetti looked much longer (maybe 2x) than the standard 12 inch standard of today," he wrote. "Did spaghetti used to be a lot longer or was that just a Hollywood gag?"
Being that Guarnaschelli is an Italian-American who once explained to La Cucina Italiana that she grew up eating "the whole nine yards" of Italian Cuisine, and is described on her website as "one of America's most accomplished top chefs," you would think that she would be able to shed some light on her fan's spaghetti conundrum, though this was far from the case. Not only did the chef not know the answer to the Twitter user's question, but she also didn't know where to look for it. "I genuinely do not know how you would find the answer to this question," Guarnaschelli tweeted back. Luckily, many others did.
Spaghetti noodles were, in fact, longer in the past
After Guarnaschelli admitted to being stumped by the Twitter user's spaghetti question, a few of her other followers jumped in to try and get to the bottom of the dilemma. Some called upon Alton Brown and Giada De Laurentiis for an answer as to whether or not extra-long spaghetti was real or simply a Hollywood ruse, though a couple of fans were able to figure it out before the fellow Food Network stars could even chime in. "There used to be 'long spaghetti' about 2 ft long. My sister-in-law used to buy it then break it in half to cook it" explained one fan, while another shared that she had childhood memories of "extra long spaghetti."
Others turned to the internet in hopes of finding an answer — a strategic move that led one user to the International Pasta Organisation, which is a nonprofit "dedicated to increasing pasta consumption and awareness." The establishment confirms on its website that spaghetti did, in fact, used to be around 19.5 inches long. By the end of the 20th century, however, shorter noodles had gained serious popularity, leading to the 10 to 12 inch spaghetti that we're used to seeing today. While Hollywood does have a lot of tricks up their sleeves when it comes to filming food, extra-long spaghetti noodles don't appear to have been one of them.