# Alphabet pasta > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Alphabet_pasta > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Alphabet_pasta.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alphabet_pasta > Source revision: 1353956905 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Pasta shaped like alphabet letters Alphabet pasta Alphabet pasta Type Pasta Media: Alphabet pasta Alphabet soup Alphagetti **Alphabet pasta**, also referred to as **alfabeto** and **alphabetti spaghetti** in the UK,[1] is a [pasta](/source/Pasta) that has been mechanically cut or pressed into the shapes of the letters of an [alphabet](/source/Alphabet) (often the [Latin alphabet](/source/Latin_alphabet)). It is often served in an **alphabet soup**, which is also sold in a can of condensed broth or as a packet soup. Another variation, **alphagetti**, consists of letter-shaped pasta in a [marinara](/source/Marinara_sauce) or [spaghetti sauce](/source/Spaghetti_sauce). Small pieces of carrot and some spices are often added to the filling. The noodles are usually up to one centimeter in size and are shaped like the letters A-Z and, more rarely, the numbers 0-9 or the @ sign. ## History It is not clear who invented alphabet soup, when or why. As early as 1877, Paris grocers sold "...small bits of macaroni, for use in soup, which are stamped with... the letters of the alphabet."[2] and Paris restaurants served "...delicious soups made of macaroni or vermicelli cut up into the shape of letters of the alphabet..."[3] In 1883, The Chicago Herald Cooking School cookbook provided a recipe for soup calling for a small pasta such as "alphabet pastes of the same material as macaroni stamped in letters".[4] In January 1900 it was on the menu at New York City's Au Lion d'Or.[4] In 1908, [Wilbur Wright](/source/Wilbur_Wright) was served alphabet soup in [Le Mans](/source/Le_Mans), France.[5] Also unclear is whether the soup or the linguistic term for [an overabundance of acronyms or abbreviations](/source/Alphabet_soup_(linguistics)) came first; food historian Janet Clarkson notes that "the first reference I have found so far to the metaphorical alphabet soup also occurs in 1883, in a quotation by the originator of *[Life](/source/Life_(magazine))* magazine, [John Ames Mitchell](/source/John_Ames_Mitchell), referring to teaching his son the alphabet soup (the ABCs) of business."[4] One common American brand of condensed-style alphabet soup is the [Campbell's](/source/Campbell_Soup_Company) brand, which was founded in 1869. This soup, like its competitors, is marketed towards parents for its educational value.[6] A similar product, Alphabetti Spaghetti, was sold by the [H. J. Heinz Company](/source/H._J._Heinz_Company) for 60 years before being discontinued in 1990. Like Campbell's alphabet soup, it contains alphabet pasta canned in [tomato sauce](/source/Tomato_sauce). It was later reintroduced by Heinz in 2005.[7] ## See also - [Alpha-Bits](/source/Alpha-Bits) - [List of pasta](/source/List_of_pasta) - [List of pasta dishes](/source/List_of_pasta_dishes) - [SpaghettiOs](/source/SpaghettiOs) - [Food portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Food) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["A history of Alphabetti Spaghetti"](https://www.theocelot.co.uk/a-history-of-alphabetti-spaghetti/). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Sleicher, John Albert (1877). ["Leslie's"](https://books.google.com/books?id=70BaAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA106). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [Robinson, William Stevens](/source/William_Stevens_Robinson); [Robinson, Harriet Jane Hanson](/source/Harriet_Hanson_Robinson) (1877). [*"Warrington" pen-portraits: a collection of personal and political reminiscences from 1848 to 1876, from the writings of William S. Robinson. With memoir, and extracts from diary and letters never before published*](https://archive.org/details/warringtonpenpor00robi/). Boston: [Rand, Avery & Company](/source/Rand%2C_Avery_%26_Company). p. 375. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:0_4-2) Clarkson, Janet (2010). *Soup : a global history*. London: Reaktion. pp. 119–120. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-86189-774-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-86189-774-9). [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [642290114](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/642290114). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** McCullough, David (2015). [*The Wright Brothers*](https://archive.org/details/wrightbrothers0000unse/page/164). Simon Schuster. p. [164](https://archive.org/details/wrightbrothers0000unse/page/164). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1476728759](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1476728759). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Wolf, Jackie (2002). [*Campbell's Alphabet Soup Book*](https://books.google.com/books?id=Laf_AAAACAAJ) (illustrated ed.). Picture Me Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1571516398](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1571516398). Retrieved 2015-03-25. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** "Dish that's write on", *[Daily Record](/source/Daily_Record_(Scotland))*, 7 April 2005 Wikibooks [Cookbook](https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook) has a recipe/module on - ***[Pasta Recipes](https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook:Pasta_Recipes)*** ## External links - [Pasta-shapes](https://www.food-info.net/uk/products/pasta/shapes.htm) - an illustrated guide at food-info.net - [Alphabet Soup is 150 Years Old - This Is How We Started Spelling With Our Food](https://triviahappy.com/articles/alphabet-soup-is-150-years-old-this-is-how-we-started-spelling-with-our-food) at Trivia Happy v t e Pasta List of pasta List of pasta dishes Types Long pastas Bigoli Bucatini Busiate Capellini Fettuccine Fileja Lasagnette Lasagnotte Linguettine Linguine Mafaldine Pappardelle Pici Spaghetti alla chitarra Stringozzi Stroncatura Tagliatelle Taglierini Tagliolini Trenette Tripoline Troccoli Vermicelli Short pastas Calamarata Campanelle Casarecce Cascatelli Cavatappi Cavatelli Cencioni Conchiglie Corzetti Crozets de Savoie Farfalle Fiori Foglie d'ulivo Fusi Fusilli (Rotini) Garganelli Gemelli Lanterne Lorighittas Macaroni Malloreddus Orecchiette Paccheri Passatelli Penne Pillus Pizzoccheri Radiatori Rigatoni Rotelle Sagnarelli Scialatelli Sedani Su Filindeu Testaroli Tortiglioni Trofie Ziti Pastina Acini di pepe Alphabet pasta Anelli Ditalini Fregula Orzo Stelline Stuffed pastas Agnolini Agnolotti Pavese Piedmontese Cappelletti Casoncelli Casunziei Cjarsons Culurgiones Fagottini Mezzelune Ravioli Raviole du Dauphiné Sacchettoni Sorrentinos Tortellini Tortelli Tortelloni Other or variable Cannelloni Lasagna Occhi di lupo Strozzapreti Vincisgrassi Cooking Al dente Al forno Producers Italian Agnesi Bertagni Barilla Buitoni De Cecco La Molisana Poiatti Rana Rigo Voiello American National Pasta Association A. Zerega's Sons, Inc. C.F. Mueller Company New World Pasta American Italian Pasta Company V. La Rosa and Sons Macaroni Company Australian San Remo Equipment manufacturers Demaco VillaWare See also Pasta processing Noodles Spätzle Israeli couscous Food portal Category: Pasta This food ingredient article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. - [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Ingredient-stub) - [t](/source/Template_talk%3AIngredient-stub) - [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Ingredient-stub) This pasta–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. - [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Pasta-stub) - [t](/source/Template_talk%3APasta-stub) - [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Pasta-stub) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Alphabet pasta](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alphabet_pasta) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alphabet_pasta?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.