According to ancient Roman natural philosopher Pliny the Elder, Apicius was “the most gluttonous gorger of all spendthrifts”. The cookbook attributed to him, known simply as Apicius or as De Re Coquinaria (On the Art of Cooking), is one of the oldest collections of recipes surviving from antiquity. Its author may have been Marcus Gavius Apicius, a Roman gourmet of the first century AD who reputedly travelled all the way from Campania to Libya on the hunt for the largest, juiciest prawns.
Many historians have suggested that the recipe collection was compiled later and simply named after him, or that Apicius had become a kind of nickname for cooks and gourmets rather than referring to any one person in particular. In any case, this book offers a unique and tantalising insight into the tastes and cookery techniques of the Roman world, possibly as long as 2,000 years ago. There is plenty to delight and intrigue in its pages. This was a recipe book for those working in the kitchens of the elites, rich in spices and containing may exotic ingredients – even including flamingo!
Bu hikaye BBC History UK dergisinin September 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye BBC History UK dergisinin September 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
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