Liber Cure Cocorum

Liber Cure Cocorum is a Middle English culinary manuscript dating from the 15th century. It is one of the earliest known collections of recipes in the English language, providing valuable insights into the medieval diet and culinary practices of the time.

Overview

The manuscript is written in verse, a common practice for instructional texts during the medieval period, which made it easier to memorize. The title, Liber Cure Cocorum, translates to "The Book of Cookery" or "The Book of the Cook's Knowledge." The text is believed to have been compiled in the northwest of England, possibly in the county of Lancashire.

Content

The Liber Cure Cocorum contains a variety of recipes, including those for meat, fish, poultry, and vegetables. It also includes instructions for making sauces, pottages, and desserts. The recipes reflect the medieval preference for heavily spiced and flavored dishes, often using ingredients such as ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and saffron.

Notable Recipes

Some notable recipes from the manuscript include:

• Blancmange: A dish made from chicken, rice, almond milk, and sugar.
• Mortrews: A thick pottage made from meat, bread, and spices.
• Pike in Brasey: A recipe for pike cooked in a spiced broth.

Historical Significance

The Liber Cure Cocorum is significant for its detailed depiction of medieval culinary practices. It provides a rare glimpse into the diet of the medieval English upper class and the types of ingredients and cooking methods that were popular at the time. The manuscript is also an important linguistic document, offering examples of Middle English vocabulary and syntax.

Manuscript

The original manuscript of the Liber Cure Cocorum is held in the John Rylands Library at the University of Manchester. It is part of the library's extensive collection of medieval manuscripts.

Related Pages

• Medieval cuisine
• Middle English
• John Rylands Library
• Blancmange
• Pottage