MACAROSTI (It. macchcroni, Olt. mecca roni, from inacearc, Lat. macerare, to macerate). Wheat paste, usually in the form of tubes or threads, varying in diameter; formerly an ex clusive product of Italy, but now made in France, the United States, and other countries. Wheat containing a large percentage of gluten is re quired, and for this purpose the hard red wheat from the Black Sea coast is mixed with the Italian wheat. The wheat is first ground into a coarse meal, from which the bran is removed. in this state it is called scnio/a or semolina. The semola is worked up into a dough with hot water and the dough is placed in a vertical cylinder of brass, 8 or 9 inches in diameter, the bottom of which is perforated with holes of the size desired. In making vermicelli and all kinds of solid macaroni the holes are very small; hut in making the tube macaroni the holes are larger and have a conical blade inserted to form the tube. The dough is squeezed out of the cylinder
through these holes, by hydraulic pressure, and cut off in lengths of about three feet. The tube macaroni emerges with a hollow centre and a slit along one side where the conical knife is attached, but this quickly closes, forming a perfect tube. The sticks are then dried in the sun and are ready for shipment.
The laborious hand process of making macaroni formerly employed has been given up. It is said that the best macaroni is made in Grognano and Torre dell' Annunziata, Italy. The manufacture of macaroni is of great importance to Italy, where it forms a large article of home consump tion and from which country it is exported to all parts of the world. Over 500,000 boxes of maca roni are sent annually to the United States, and about 70,000 to London.