# Are twisted spaghetti noodles always right handed? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 18, 2005, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-twisted-spaghetti-noodles-always-right-handed/331686 "2005-11-18T19:19:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![quelquechose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/6f9a4e/32.png) [@quelquechose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quelquechose)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-twisted-spaghetti-noodles-always-right-handed/331686/1 "2005-11-18T19:19:53Z")
While I was eating some spiral-shaped pasta noodles I discovered that all the noodles were right handed. The noodles were like the second set shown [here](http://www.pastamontana.com/specialtyshapes.html). Are all spiral noodles right handed? If so, why? (By “right-handed” I mean the spiral goes the same direction as a normal screw) ---
**Author:** ![RipCurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecae2f/32.png) [@RipCurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RipCurl)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-twisted-spaghetti-noodles-always-right-handed/331686/2 "2005-11-18T19:43:48Z")
The _Market Pantry_ (Target) brand rotini in our cabinet is “right hand thread.” ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-twisted-spaghetti-noodles-always-right-handed/331686/3 "2005-11-18T20:12:59Z")
I’ve been told that these are produced with extrusion dies. That would make it very likely that all noodles from one company twist the same way. And it wouldn’t be too surprising if all companies conform to a right-hand rule. It would, of course, be easy enough to do it the other way. Could you get consumers to pay enough attention that this would be a selling point? Doubtful, I’d say. ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-twisted-spaghetti-noodles-always-right-handed/331686/4 "2005-11-18T22:16:39Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > I’ve been told that these are produced with extrusion dies. That would make it very likely that all noodles from one company twist the same way. And it wouldn’t be too surprising if all companies conform to a right-hand rule. Especially since I would expect many pasta makers buy equipment from the same sources. In this case, seems like uniformity is just sort of the easiest way to do things. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-twisted-spaghetti-noodles-always-right-handed/331686/5 "2005-11-18T22:35:23Z")
There’s some left-handed pasta somewhere according to this account: [http://www.rps.psu.edu/0205/spiraling.html](http://www.rps.psu.edu/0205/spiraling.html) Maybe you could get ahold of Dr. Crespi and ask where he found it. ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2005, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-twisted-spaghetti-noodles-always-right-handed/331686/6 "2005-11-19T00:30:03Z")
It happens because Italy and China, where noodles were first invented, are both north of the Equator. This is called the Raviolus effect. South of the Equator, pasta turns the other way. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2005, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-twisted-spaghetti-noodles-always-right-handed/331686/7 "2005-11-19T00:36:00Z")
> [@Fish](#): > > It happens because Italy and China, where noodles were first invented, are both north of the Equator. This is called the Raviolus effect. > > South of the Equator, pasta turns the other way. On the equator, you can only buy Penne.