In 1520, the Llibre del coc appeared in the city of Barcelona, ​​the first cookbook printed in the Iberian Peninsula. It was written in Catalan. Until then, cookbooks had circulated only in handwritten form. The work is attributed to Master Robert, cook to King Ferdinand of Naples. Everything seems to indicate that it is necessary to identify this sovereign with Ferdinand I, natural son of Alfonso the Magnificent, who reigned in Naples between the years 1458 and 1494. The book includes more than two hundred recipes, in large part linked to customs and luxurious tastes of the court and the nobility of the time. Most of these are dishes that are part of a then already long medieval Catalan culinary tradition, at that time still very much in force, represented by Sent Soví and other titles, such as the Llibre d'aparellar de menjar or the Llibre de totes moderen de potages . At the same time that it is closely linked to the tradition that preceded it, the Llibre del coc gives an account of new influences and tastes that, little by little, were imposed during the sixteenth century. In several aspects, it is a work that acts as a hinge between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. No és sorprenent, doncs, que al llarg d’aquest segle l’obra fos repetidament impresa en llengua catalana, i que, traduïda al castellà, també gaudís d’un llarg recorregut. To facilitate access to the text, the medieval version with an adaptation to modern Catalan is offered. The studies on the economic, historical and culinary environment that accompany it promote a better understanding of the period and of the recipe itself. The Seven Doors collection of Historical Recipes of Catalan Cuisine proposes a long journey through the evolution, transformations and continuities of Catalan cuisine through its most significant recipes. The analysis of these texts gives us a perspective on the evolution of society and clarifies the origin of some of our culinary customs.

Book available in Catalan.

Also available in ebook format.