Now there are a few basic things in life that robots will never do, like enjoying good food. But if they could, chances are pasta would be on the menu. That's because pasta has become the world's favorite food, according to Oxfam that is.

Pasta, world's favorite dish  [File photo]

A survey by the non-profit group has placed the Italian staple food ahead of rice, meat, and even pizza.

Enjoyed all over the world, the humble food originally attributed to Italy's poor has become the most popular dish on the planet according to Oxfam.

A global survey conducted by the charity asked people in 17 countries to name their three favorite foods, and pasta came up tops above other staples such as rice, potato, corn, or even meat.

With something like 600 varieties and an estimated worldwide production of 12.8 million tons per year, pasta was found to be the favorite across Europe and in the Philippines, Guatemala, Brazil and South Africa.

Pasta has been enjoyed as a basic cheap food in the poorest regions of Italy for centuries.

Nazareno Menghini, exeutive chef of Le Jardin de Russie, said, "If we consider the case here in Italy, pasta was born here in our farmhouses. People planted seed, harvested wheat, made their own flour, then took it to the mill. Everyone had his own grain and flour, and within a year, they used it to make pasta."

Italian immigration at the turn of the 20th century has played a central role in boosting the popularity of pasta.

Thousands of Italians ventured to the New World from the poorest regions of their country bringing with them their traditional food and opening new restaurants.

So, humble pasta now caters to the most basic AND most refined tastes.

Prof. Antonio Migliaccio, president of Italian Food And Nutrition Science Society, said, "Pasta is popular all over the world because it has a very ancient history and this is really important. In addition it's very simple. It can be produced in any region and it can be combined with local products. So it allows people to prepare dishes with various flavors and very close to other people's cultures and habits."

But Italy cannot take all the credit for the world's favorite food.

The Ancient Greeks and the Romans enjoyed a similar dish. And dumplings date back to ancient China.

But even if they did not invent pasta, the Italians have certainly perfected it.

The fundamental idea of combining it with a tomato based sauce is Italian.

And they have since created more than 600 regional varieties.

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