Llibre del Coch facts for kids

The Llibre del Coch (which means Book of the Cook) is a very old cookbook from Catalonia, a region in Spain. It was written around 1490 by a chef named Master Robert de Nola. The oldest copy we still have was printed in 1520 in Barcelona, in the Catalan language.

This book is special because it shares recipes from the Catalan cuisine of that time. It also includes ideas from nearby places like Occitan cuisine and Italian food. These areas were all connected to the Crown of Aragon, a powerful kingdom that included parts of Spain, Italy, Corsica, and Sicily. Even though it didn't have recipes from Castile (another part of Spain), it became very popular there. It was translated into Spanish in 1525 and printed many times. People today see it as a key book for understanding food during the Renaissance period.

It's important not to confuse this book with another, less famous one called Llibre del Coch o del Ventre de la Canonja de Tarragona. That book was written much earlier, in 1331, by Guillem Clergue.

The First Printed Cookbooks

The Llibre del Coch was the very first cookbook ever printed in Catalan. It was also printed before any cookbook in Spanish. The oldest copy we know of was printed on November 15, 1520. You can find it at the National Library of Catalonia in Barcelona.

Later, King Charles I asked for the book to be translated into Spanish. It was first published in Spanish in Toledo in 1529 (or maybe 1525). In the same year, another writer, Diego Granado, copied much of its text for his own book. Over the next hundred years, at least five more editions were printed in Catalan and seven in Spanish.

There are clues that the 1520 printed book was copied from an even older text. For example, it is dedicated to King Ferdinand I of Naples, who ruled Naples between 1458 and 1494. Also, the book describes the rules for Lent (a time of fasting for Christians) from before 1491. After 1491, the Church allowed people to eat dairy products and eggs during Lent, but the book doesn't mention this change. Plus, the original book must have been written before Europe discovered America in 1492, because it doesn't mention any foods from the new continent.

What's Inside the Book

The Llibre del Coch has more than 200 chapters. Most of these (236 chapters) are recipes. But, as its long title suggests, the book also starts with chapters about how to cut meat. Other parts teach you how to serve different people at the table. This includes how to sharpen knives, serve water, and act as a butler or waiter. The very last chapter is an index, which helps you find things in the book.

Interestingly, this book doesn't have any recipes with mushrooms. Today, mushrooms are very popular in Catalan cuisine. Some experts think this might have been to avoid accidental poisonings.

However, the book does have some new things compared to an older cookbook called Llibre de Sent Soví. For example, it includes two recipes for rice: rice with meat broth and rice in a casserole in the oven. These might be the first written recipes for dishes like rice in a casserole or rice and crust, which are similar to modern paellas.

The book also has eight recipes made especially for patients who are sick. One recipe, called alburnia, has an Arabic name. It might be an old version of fig bread, but with rose water. Rose water was a common ingredient in medieval cooking, especially with influences from the Middle East.

The book includes two recipes specifically called "a la morisca" (meaning "in the Moorish style"). Other recipes have names that show they come from foreign ways of cooking, like bona salsa francesa (good French sauce) or sopes a la lombarda (Lombard soups). Only three recipes are called "a la catalana" (the Catalan way). This might be because the other recipes were already known as Catalan, or because these specific ones were known elsewhere with that name.

Before foods from America arrived, Catalan cooking was not very different from Roman cooking. People used fewer ingredients and mixes. They focused on the most valued foods and avoided some combinations that might seem strange today. However, they used a lot more spices. Cooking and serving food at the table became more refined. This book, and others from the same time like Com tayllaràs devant un senyor, show the rules for serving food to important people.

Who Wrote This Book?

We know from the book's title that the author was called "mestre (master) Robert." It also says he was the cook for "King Ferdinand of Naples." But we don't know if he was born in Nola (which is now part of Naples) or somewhere else. Some people wonder if "Master Robert de Nola" was even a real person, or if the name was made up.

One chapter in the book, called “De offici de mestre de Estable” (about the duties of a Stablemaster), says: "about this matter I will be careful not to speak now because in the Llibre de Menescalia I have already spoken of it very lengthily..." This makes it seem like the author of the Llibre del Coch also wrote the Llibre de Menescalia. That book was written by Manuel Dieç, who was a butler for King Alfons the Magnanimous. So, some experts believe that Master Robert de Nola might have just copied an older, lost book written by Manuel Dieç.

How It Compares to Llibre de Sent Soví

The Llibre de Sent Soví is another famous Catalan cookbook from the 1300s. It was written by hand, not printed, and copies from that century still exist. We don't know who wrote it, because the author didn't sign it, unlike the Llibre del Coch.

The cooking styles in both books are quite similar. It seems very likely that Robert de Nola knew about the Llibre de Sent Soví because he used some of its ideas and recipes. However, Master Robert added new things. For example, he suggested using sheep's milk in recipes, not just goat's milk.

When it comes to spices, the Llibre de Sent Soví generally used fewer than the Llibre del Coch. The Llibre de Sent Soví only has Catalan recipes. But the Llibre del Coch includes recipes from nearby cultures like Italy, France, and Arab countries. Neither book has any Castilian recipes, even though the Llibre del Coch was quickly translated into Spanish.

In 1491, the Church changed its rules, allowing Catholics to eat eggs and milk during Lent. But Robert de Nola's book doesn't show this change, so these ingredients are missing from the Lenten recipes in both books.

The Llibre del Coch is written in a more literary style. The Llibre de Sent Soví wasn't well-known until the 1900s. But the Llibre del Coch, as writer Josep Pla said, was a "true bestseller." It was translated quickly into many languages and is seen as "the book of Renaissance cookery."