This is a list of cookbooks written in the Medieval Period (~5th-15th centuries), a cookbook being a culinary text that compiles recipes and instructions for preparing food.
By language
Arabic
Name Native name Author Region of origin Time period of writing # of recipes compiled Description Kitab al-Tabikh Ibrahim ibn al-Mahdi779-839 (lifetime of the author)at least 40 No publicly available surviving manuscripts exist, a privately-owned extant manuscript is believed to exist. The book is referenced in Ibn-Sayyar's kitab al-tabikh 40 recipes have survived through references in other texts. Possibly the first Arabic-language cookbook. Kitab al-Tabikh Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq Baghdad10th-century 600+ Earliest surviving Arabic-language cookbook, translated into English in 2007 by Nawal Nasrallah Kitab al-tabikh Anonymous Al-Andalus13th-century 462 Oldest known cookbook from the Iberian Peninsula Kitab al-Wuslah ila l-habib Anonymous, thought to be Ibn al-Adim Aleppo13th-century 635 It was translated to English by Charles Perry. Ibn Razīn al-Tujībī Al-Andalus1239–1265 480 An English translation containing 480 recipes was published in 2024 by Daniel Newman Anonymous Egypt14th-century 829 It was translated to English by Nawal Nasrallah. Contains 829 recipes organized into 23 chapters Many copies of the initial manuscript exist, some of the contain errors made by scribes. Contains several recipes that were copied verbaitim from Ibn-Sayyar's kitab al-tabikh. Kitab Wasf Anonymous Egypt14th-century 480 Translated to English by Charles Perry in 2001 under the name Medieval Arab Cookery Copied much of Baghdadi's kitab al-Tabikh and adds 240 new recipes. Kitab al-Tabikh Muhammad bin Hasan al-Baghdadi Baghdad 1226 160 Translated into English by A.J. Arberry in 1939 and later again by Charles Perry in 2005. Zahr al-hadiqa fi ' l-at'ima al-aniqa' Egypt15th-century 332 Translated into English by Daniel Newman in 2020. Kitab al-tibakha Al-Mubarrad Damascus15th-century 44 Discovered and edited by in 1937.
Danish
Name Author Region of origin Time period of writing Description Libellus de arte coquinaria Anonymous 13th-century
English
Name Author Region of origin Time period of writing Description The Forme of Cury The master cooks of Richard II of England England 14th-century Contains around 205 recipes. Written in middle English. In 2008, it was scanned and made freely available online by the John Rylands Research Institute and Library. Utilis Coquinario Anonymous Late 14th-century Diversa Cibaria 14th-century Translated from Anglo-Norman recipe collections.
French
Name Author Region of origin Time period of writing Description Le Viandier Guillaume Tirel 15th-century
German
Name Author Region of origin Time period of writing Description Das Buoch von guoter Spise Michael de Leone Würzburg 1350 Oldest surviving German language-cookbook, contained more than 100 recipes. Kochbuch Meister Hans Württemberg 1460 It is a compilation of older recipes.
Latin
Name Author Region of origin Time period of writing Description Tacuinum Sanitatis Anonymous 11th-century Translation of an Arabic medical treatise that contained recipes for medicinal dishes Liber de Coquina Anonymous 14th-century Jambobinus Venice 13th-century The book was a translation of 82 Arabic recipes. Apicius Possibly, Marcus Gavius Apicius1st centuryDe honesta voluptate et valetudineBartolomeo PlatinaVenice1474The first ever printed cookbook, many of the recipes were copied from the earlier Libro de Arte Coquinaria by Martino da Como Libro de Arte Coquinaria Martino da Como Lombardy15th-century First ever Italian cookbook.
Persian
Name Author Region of origin Time period of writing Description Nimatnama Malwa Sultanate Ordered by Ghiyath Shah during his rule (1469 to 1500) Translated to English by Norah Titley.
Turkish
Name Author Region of origin Time period of writing Description Muhammad bin Mahmud Shirvani Ottoman Empire 15th century First Turkish language cookbook, it is a translation of Baghdadi's 13th century Kitab al-Tabikh with 60 added recipes and changes made to some of Baghdadi's recipes.
See also :Category:Medieval cookbooks List of anonymously published works Lists of books List of cookbook writers Glossary of historical culinary terms
References
External links A History of Egyptian Cookbooks, on Google Arts & Culture List of medieval Arabic cookery books, on Daniel Newman's blog Eat like a Sultan