Pasta tops Italian desert island wishlist

| Wed, 10/01/2008 - 04:01

Pasta, trousers, soap and a radio were among the top choices of Italians asked what they would take with them if they were stranded on a desert island.

The 1,000 Italians polled by national dairy association Assolatte seemed not to worry about best-before dates when asked what foods they would take with them to the island.

Some 76% of Italians said ''pasta and bread'' while 39% chose classic Italian cheese such as pecorino and parmesan.

A further 38% opted for fruit, including exotic varieties such as pineapples and bananas as well as tomatoes and apples.

Trousers, T-shirts and bathing costumes were top of the clothing list for potential Robinson Crusoes, but around 15% of women opted for underwear.

Despite people being told they would spend five years alone on the island, make-up and conditioner still made it onto the list of personal items, headed up by soap, toothpaste and shampoo.

While 22% didn't feel the need to take any reading material to while away their five years of isolation, those who did want to take books opted for the Bible (7%), the Divine Comedy (4%), Alessandro Mazoni's I Promessi Sposi (The Betrothed, 3%) and the Harry Potter books (2%).

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