Originally, spaghetti was notably long, but shorter lengths gained in popularity during the latter half of the 20th century.
The first written record of pasta comes from the Talmud in the 5th century AD and refers to dried pasta that could be cooked through boiling, which was conveniently portable. After the establishment of spaghetti factories in the 19th century, enabling the mass production of spaghetti for the Italian market.