Substitutes
Spaghetti; Capellini
History Notes
An Arab geographer, Al-Adrisi, recorded that vermicelli was being made in Sicily by 1100 AD.
Literature & Lore
In the 1800s, English-speakers would use Vermicelli in sweet dishes:
“Boiled Vermicelli Pudding: Stir very gently four ounces of vermicelli into a pint of new milk over the stove, until it be scalding hot but not more; then pour it into a basin, and add to it one ounce of butter and two of sugar while hot. When the above is nearly cold, mix in it, very gently, two well-beaten eggs and immediately put it into a basin that will exactly hold it. Cover carefully with a floured cloth; and turning the basin the narrow end upwards, stir it round for ten minutes, and boil an hour. Serve the moment it is done, with pudding sauce.” — Maria Eliza Ketelby Rundell. A new system of domestic cookery: formed upon principles of economy and adapted to the use of private families. London: Jacob Johnson. 1807. Page 226-227.
Language Notes
In Italian, Vermicelli means “little worms”, but your kids don’t need to know that.
