Culinary Texts in Context, 1500–1800 : Manuscript Recipe Books in Early Modern Europe

This collection represents a new and significant contribution to the study of recipe books from the early modern period (ca. 1500–1800) by situating them in a broader European context, traversing Catalonia, Finland, French and German-speaking regions, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and England.Ten essays, including a critical introduction to the genre, trace the materiality of the books and the use of the instructions therein, investigating patterns of recipe collection and their evolution over time; the international transmission of recipes, ingredients, and artisanal knowledge; and women’s manuscript culture.The authors explore how localised traditions of book production and domestic record-keeping shaped the physical forms of the books, and how stains, folds, marginalia, items pressed between pages, and pasted-in additions reveal their many uses.The inclusion of new ingredients and the integration of foreign recipes point to the many ways in which people, food, ideas, and books travelled the globe.