With March being National Noodle Month, it’s time for everyone to break out their favorite noodle recipes. And since every culture in the world has its own variation on the noodle, it might take a whole month just to pick the one you like.

Noodles are a food that goes back thousands of years, with the earliest written record of them occurring during the Eastern Han Period in China some 4,000 years ago. Since their invention, they’ve literally traveled the world and are enjoyed in a thousand different forms. All of these noodles are worth checking out during March; it just might be a bit tough choosing the one that you like the most.

The History of National Noodle Month

This month was first created a few years ago by the National Pasta Association. This organization helps to encourage pasta consumption and assists pasta manufacturers in collaborating on marketing, production, and regulatory issues surrounding pasta.

Let’s Get Noodling About Noodles

We just couldn’t resist dipping into a big pot of noodle facts, so we did the research and came away with the following facts. We think the noodle facts below will be eye-opening to most people. Or, at least, that’s our hope.

• The first time the word “Noodle” was used was during the mid-18th century.
• Every day around the world, almost 300 million portions of instant noodles are eaten.
• If properly packaged, dried pasta noodles can last virtually forever, or at least for a very long time.
• The word “Noodle” comes from the German word “Nudel,” which itself comes from “knödel.” Knödel means “Dumpling.”
• In China, noodles are a symbol of longevity.
• Following WWII, noodles became extremely important in Japan as a food source that was easy to obtain and cook.

Observing National Noodle Month

As we said earlier, there are thousands of noodles out there for people to choose from during National Noodle Month. That means that a person can have different noodles for every meal of every day of this month and not have even come close to trying all of the noodles that are available.

That’s why during this month we’re going to stick with the basics: Rotini, Linguine, Radiatore, Spaghetti, Campanelle, and Shells. Of course, the pasta noodles that a person chooses during this month will depend on their personal preference, their taste, and the recipes they are using.

Just do us a favor. Whatever pasta noodle you choose, be sure to post a picture of the dish it’s used in on social media using the hashtag #NationalNoodleMonth. Let’s give the noodle the love it deserves.