In 1520, the Llibre del coc was published in the city of Barcelona, becoming the first printed cookbook on the Iberian Peninsula. It was written in Catalan. Until then, cookery books had circulated exclusively in manuscript form.
The work is attributed to Master Robert, cook to King Ferdinand of Naples. All the evidence suggests that this monarch should be identified as Ferdinand I, the illegitimate son of Alfonso the Magnanimous, who ruled Naples from 1458 to 1494.
The book contains more than two hundred recipes, many of them closely associated with the lavish tastes and customs of the royal court and the nobility of the period. Most belong to the long-established tradition of medieval Catalan cookery, which was still flourishing at the time, as represented by the Sent Soví and other works such as the Llibre d'aparellar de menjar and the Llibre de totes maneres de potatges.
While remaining firmly rooted in the culinary tradition that preceded it, the Llibre del coc also reflects the emergence of new influences and tastes that gradually gained prominence during the sixteenth century. In many respects, it serves as a bridge between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
It is therefore unsurprising that the work was reprinted several times in Catalan throughout the sixteenth century and, once translated into Castilian, also enjoyed a long publishing history.
To make the text more accessible, this edition presents the original medieval version alongside an adaptation into modern Catalan. The accompanying studies of its economic, historical and culinary context provide a deeper understanding of both the period and the cookbook itself.
The Set Portes Collection of Historic Catalan Cookbooks offers a broad survey of the evolution, transformations and continuities of Catalan cuisine through its most significant recipe books. The study of these texts provides valuable insight into the development of society while shedding light on the origins of many of our culinary traditions.