The first cookbook published in Spanish
Tertulia, vol. 68
Hola. This is Barbara, your guide to the latest cultural news from the Spanish-speaking world. As part of my New Year’s resolution for 2025, I’ve decided to explore the fascinating history of books in the Spanish language. Each month, I’ll present a work that marks a significant anniversary this year—ranging from timeless literary classics to groundbreaking nonfiction.
To start, we’ll travel back 500 years to discover a book first printed in 1525—a true gem from the dawn of print culture. I am talking about the Libro de guisados, manjares y potajes, intitulado libro de cozina, written by Robert de Nola, also known as Mestre Robert. Let’s uncover the story behind this remarkable work together.
The origins of the cookbook
The book was first published in 1525 in Toledo.
The work is the translation of the famous Catalan cookbook Llibre del Coch which was published in Barcelona in 1520 using the Gutenberg press. We know that this Catalan collection of recipes was already used in the previous decades, starting around 1480, at the court of Aragón.
The book quickly became a bestseller, especially after it was translated into Castilian Spanish, the language of the empire. Since it is stated on the first page that it was printed with “Imperial privilege”), it is assumed that Charles V promoted the translation of Llibre de Coch into Castilian Spanish. Surprisingly, the book does not include any recipe considered authentically Castilian. Instead, the cookbook is based upon recipes from the medieval Catalan Llibre de Sent Soví (1324, unknown author) as well as other recipes from Aragonese, Occitan, French, Italian, and Arabic traditions. It is the first printed testimony of what we call the Mediterranean diet today. It also helped to make Catalan cooking popular in Italy.
Even though it was first only used at the courts, with time, the recipes became renown throughout the various social classes. Due to its popularity, the classical cookbook serves as an important source for the history of nutrition and the eating habits of Renaissance times. French cook and writer Éliane Thibaut-Comelade made it the centre of her book Cuina medieval catalana.
To make your mouth water, here is a page from the alphabetical list of dishes. By the way, it’s the first time the preparation method and/or dish «escabeche» is documented in a Spanish book. I love vinegar-based sauces, don’t you?
Besides the recipes themselves, the book is also a manual on gastronomy in general, with teachings on how to prepare the kitchen, the ingredients, how to serve, etc.
The author
We know little about Robert or Ruperto de Nola besides being the author of one of the oldest European cookbooks. At least, the publication of his masterpiece has earned him Wikipedia entries in 20 languages. According to the online encyclopedia, Ruperto was also known by the pseudonym Mestre Robert and he served as “coch del Serenissimo senyor Don Ferrando Rey de Napols”, as is stated in the full title of the Catalan edition of the cookbook (see below). Most scholars assume that Ferrando is Fernando I, king of Naples.
Where to find copies of the book
The cookbook has found numerous re-editions throughout the centuries. You can still buy facsimile re-editions on the Spanish book market. The BNE hosts digital editions of the original print, which you can access from home. This is also where I got the digital copies of the pages displayed on this site. If you wish to see the original print version, you can do so at the BNE’s main site at Paseo de Recoletos in Madrid. The Catalan original is kept at the Biblioteca de Catalunya.
What else happened in 1525?
To give you a bit of historical context of the book that goes beyond the assumption that Carlos V may have nudged the translation of this masterpiece from Catalan to Castilian Spanish, I want to provide you with a few dates important for the Spanish empire in that year:
Hernán Cortés executed Cuauhtémoc, the last Aztec emperor, in Mexico.
Spanish explorer Rodrigo Galván de Bastidas founded the city of Santa Marta in what is now Colombia.
The Battle of Frankenhausen marked the end of the German Peasants' War in the Holy Roman Empire.
Let’s summarise these events the following way: Those were turbulent times, times of violent Imperial expansion, like a cooking pot coming to full boil.
This is all for today. Join me next time when I will either present a book published in 1625 or 1725. Or one from 2015? Let me surprise you.