Ein New Kochbuch
A New Cookbook · Frankfurt am Main (1581)
By Marx Rumpolt, Master Cook to the Prince-Elector of Mainz
The first complete English translation of one of the greatest culinary masterworks of the Renaissance—510 pages of royal banquets, bizarre showpieces, and cellar secrets.
Delightful, Weird & Wondrous Secrets
A glimpse into the most fascinating recipes, alchemy, and royal stunts inside the 510 pages:
The Fire-Breathing Calf
A whole roast calf on a silver platter, rigged so flames breathe from its mouth — and its rear.
The Venice Brandy Secret
A floating brandy trick that earned a merchant 12,000 gold ducats in Renaissance Venice.
30-Layer Hungarian Strudel
The earliest surviving printed recipe (1581) for veil-thin hand-stretched strudel dough.
7-Week Kicked Vinegar
Brewing 9 tuns of prime vinegar by placing oak casks in servant corridors to be kicked daily.
The Seven Divisions of the Work
A complete guide to courtly banquets, game, fowl, fish, pastries, and cellar science
Since from my youth I have had a particular fondness and inclination for this art, and have practiced it for over forty years, serving many potentates—emperors, kings, electors, and princes...— Marx Rumpolt, 1581