The Forme of Cury: A Roll of Ancient English Cookery Compiled, About A.D. 1390
The Forme of Cury: A Roll of Ancient English Cookery Compiled, About A.D. 1390
Compiled around 1390 by the master cooks of King Richard II, The Forme of Cury stands as one of the oldest surviving English cookbooks, a remarkable artifact from the world of Chaucer and the Black Death. Written in Middle English, this manuscript offers more than recipes; it is a portal into medieval dining customs where food and medicine were inseparable, where saffron and grains of paradise lent dishes a sophistication we have since lost, and where the noble table was a stage for spectacular culinary theatre. The recipes demand interpretation: measurements are approximate, techniques assumed known, and ingredients like放量 (weird, I need to stop - let me restart) , where cinnamon, ginger, and pepper might appear in the same sauce, and veal is medicated with herbs to balance the humours. The text reveals a cuisine shaped by the Crusades, by trade with the East, by a medieval worldview in which the right dish could heal or harm. Whether you approach it as a food historian, a curious cook, or a reader drawn to the strange beauty of the past, this roll offers something rare: the taste of a vanished world, recreated from the instructions of those who fed kings.
About The Forme of Cury: A Roll of Ancient English Cookery Compiled, About A.D. 1390
Chapter Summaries
- 1
- Samuel Pegge dedicates the work to Gustavus Brander, Esq., acknowledging his ownership of the curious roll of cookery. He expresses the difficulty of meeting Brander's 'just, or even most moderate demands' but offers this publication as a 'public testimony of that profound regard'.
- 2
- Pegge provides a historical deduction of 'Ars coquinaria' from antiquity through the Greeks, Romans, Britons, Saxons, Danes, and Normans. He discusses the social status of cooks, the evolution of ingredients, and the influence of various cultures on English dining habits, noting the Normans' delicate tastes.
- 3
- Pegge details the 'Forme of Cury' vellum roll, its 196 recipes, and its provenance from the Earl of Oxford to Gustavus Brander. He establishes its authenticity by citing the inscription from Edward Lord Stafford, who presented it to Queen Elizabeth, and makes general observations on 14th-century ingredients like cranes, porpoises, and the absence of others common today.
Key Themes
- Culinary History and Evolution
- The text meticulously traces the development of cookery from ancient civilizations through medieval England, highlighting changes in ingredients, techniques, and dining customs over centuries. It notes the disappearance of certain foods like cranes and porpoises, and the introduction of new ones like carp and hops.
- Social Status and Food
- The book explores how food preparation and consumption were intertwined with social hierarchy, from cooks being among the lowest slaves in Rome to holding high office in royal courts. It details the lavishness of noble and ecclesiastical feasts, reflecting the status of the hosts.
- Intercultural Exchange in Cuisine
- The preface details the influences of various cultures—Greek, Roman, Saxon, Danish, Norman, and Eastern—on English cookery, particularly in the adoption of spices, cooking methods, and specific dishes like those from Lombardy or Saracen origin.
Characters
- King Richard II(supporting)
- The English monarch whose master-cooks compiled 'The Forme of Cury' around A.D. 1390, known for his splendid table.
- Samuel Pegge(protagonist)
- The editor and author of the preface, glossary, and notes for this publication of 'The Forme of Cury'.
- Gustavus Brander, Esq.(supporting)
- The owner of the ancient vellum roll of 'The Forme of Cury' in 1780, to whom Samuel Pegge dedicates the work.
- Queen Elizabeth(minor)
- The English monarch to whom the original 'Forme of Cury' roll was presented in the 28th year of her reign.
- Edward Lord Stafford(minor)
- The heir who presented 'The Forme of Cury' roll to Queen Elizabeth in 1586.
- Master-Cooks of King Richard II(minor)
- The anonymous compilers of the original 14th-century recipes in 'The Forme of Cury'.
