The “Livro de Cozinha da Infanta D. Maria de Portugal” is the oldest known Portuguese cooking manuscript.

Daughter of the infante D. Duarte and granddaughter of king D. Manuel I, the Infanta D. Maria de Portugal (1538 – 1577) married Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma and Piacenza in 1565. When leaving Portugal, the Infanta D. Maria took with her a series of belongings, which included a culinary manuscript with 73 pages, bound in lambskin.

Also known as the “Códice Português 1. e 33. da Biblioteca Nacional de Nápoles”, this codex is safely stored in the National Library of Naples together with other manuscripts from the Infanta D. Maria’s personal library.

The authors of this culinary manuscript are unknown, but it is known that it contains the calligraphy of several people, and it is believed to have been transcribed between the late 15^th century and the early 16^th century. It is proposed to be a compilation of recipes gathered within the Infanta’s family and is as such a reflection of the culinary habits of the Portuguese nobility of the time.

This cookbook contains 67 recipes that expand throughout three folders: meat “Caderno dos Manjares da Carne”, dairy “Caderno dos Manjares de Leite”, eggs “Caderno dos Manjares de Ovos” and preserves “Caderno das Cousas de Conservas”, but also includes medicinal recipes.

The medieval influence is clearly observed throughout the cookbook, within the series of meat, game, and bird recipes, but also the odd fish, and many egg, dairy, fruit, dessert and preserve recipes. Another highlight goes to the heavy use of sugar and spices, which at the time were a luxurious and rare commodity.

From the array of recipes, we may highlight the Arab influence seen in the “almojávenas” and “alféloas”, as well as find the first lamprey recipe (which is the only “fish” recipe), and even what is proposed to be the first known recipe of the famous pastel de nata (Portuguese custard tart).

With this edition of the Livro de Cozinha da Infanta D. Maria, we intend to reveal an original interpretation of this medieval manuscript, adapted to the modern language but respecting the original weights, ingredients, and cooking techniques.

This e-book is only available in Portuguese (PT).

Format: E-book | PDF

Pages: 61

Language: Portuguese

Publisher: Amass. Cook.

Collection: História da Gastronomia Portuguesa