Historical gourmet food?

by armzngunz

What are the oldest recipes we have for gourmet food only served for nobles, kings and emperors? Is it known what ancient rulers would have for dinner? What could a roman, or even later byzantine emperor expect to have for dinner?

chitoryu12

We actually have recipes all the way back to Sumerian times! Most recipes that were actually written down throughout history were for the wealthy and nobility, in fact. Because literacy was generally restricted to the learned classes in many areas, the only cookbooks would be for professional chefs and kitchen staff. Cookbooks for the average person only began appearing in the 17th or 18th century, most prominently The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy first published in 1747 by Hannah Glasse.

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The issue with the very oldest recipes of Sumer is that many of the tablets have been damaged and there are some words that haven't been translated yet. Like a lot of recipes have the word "Suhutinnu", but the most anyone has figured out is that it's probably a root vegetable. It could easily be a case like with Ancient Rome where it's an extinct plant that was overharvested; Rome made heavy use of silphium, probably a variety of fennel, but it's believed to be extinct for about 1800 years now.

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Here's some Sumerian recipes as they've been translated from these tablets:

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 Leg of mutton, but no other meat is used. Prepare water; add fat; dodder [wild licorice] as desired; salt to taste; cypress [juniper berries]; onion; samidu [semolina]; cumin; coriander; leek and garlic, mashed with kisimmu [sour cream or yogurt]. It is ready to serve.”

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“Scatter cut-up pieces of meat in a kettle and cook. Clean some baru and add to the kettle. Before removing the kettle from the fire, strain the cooking liquid and stir in mashed leek and garlic and a corresponding amount of raw suhutinnu.”

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“Meat is used. Prepare water; add fat; dill; suhutinnu; coriander; leek and garlic, bound with blood; a corresponding amount of kisimmu [sour cream or yogurt] and more garlic.”