It was an incredibly successful book, republished 4 times in Catalan and ten times in Spanish. Ruperto de Nola’s 1520 Libre del Coch was the first cookbook written and published in Catalan, in Catalonia, a region in northeastern Spain. So without further ado, allow me to present Maester Ruperto de Nola and his popular cookbook, Libre del Coch. But unlike most historical investigations, this assignment offered a tangible and sensory opportunity to experience elements of 16 th century Spain. They are history, providing rich insights into the social, cultural, economic, and even medical practices of the past. Broadly speaking, historical cookery books and recipes offer much more than colorful anecdotes from the past. I couldn’t wait dig into the source and discover what it revealed about Iberian foodways and culture. I was thrilled to see among the list of choices a dish from early-modern Spain, a region and period that has long captivated my personal historical interests. One of our assignments directed us to examine and recreate a historical recipe. Kole de Peralta’s Food Studies in Historiography.

Two of my greatest loves, food and history, were brought together when I took Dr. “The Master Chef: Kitchen Scene” by Alejandro de Loarte.

I want to transport you to the world of early-modern Spain, and demonstrate how analysis of a historical recipe can appeal to historians and food lovers alike. In the midst of the incessant COVID-19 pandemic, I offer you a brief diversion to a wildly popular phenomenon on the internet today: food blogs! But this is no ordinary food blog about gourmet mac and cheese or my best chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Tasting history recipes