Primitive Cookery
Primitive Cookery; or the Kitchen Garden Display'd is an anonymously authored English cookbook first published in the mid-18th century. A second edition, published by J. Williams with considerable additions, appeared in 1767. The book contains a collection of largely lacto-ovo vegetarian recipes, along with instructions for preserving fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Although some recipes include meat, the majority are vegetarian and designed to be inexpensive and accessible, particularly for those unable to afford meat. The work has been described as the earliest known vegetarian cookbook in English, predating Martha Brotherton's Vegetable Cookery (1812).
 Second edition title page | |
| Language | English |
|---|---|
| Subject | Lacto-ovo vegetarian cuisine |
| Genre | Cookbook |
| Publisher | J. Williams |
Publication date | 1767 (second edition) |
| Publication place | Kingdom of Great Britain |
| Pages | 80 |
| OCLC | 642606679 |
| Text | Primitive Cookery at the Internet Archive |
Primitive Cookery; or the Kitchen Garden Display'd[a] is an anonymously authored English cookbook first published in the mid-18th century. A second edition, published by J. Williams with considerable additions, appeared in 1767. The book contains a collection of largely lacto-ovo vegetarian recipes, along with instructions for preserving fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Although some recipes include meat, the majority are vegetarian and designed to be inexpensive and accessible, particularly for those unable to afford meat. The work has been described as the earliest known vegetarian cookbook in English, predating Martha Brotherton's Vegetable Cookery (1812).
Background and publication
[edit]An earlier anonymously published book with a similar title and recipes was published in 1743, Adam's Luxury and Eve's Cookery; or, the Kitchen Garden Display'd.[1] It has been attributed to Frances Hill.[2]
A second edition, with considerable additions, was published in 1767 in London by J. Williams.[3]
Content
[edit]Primitive Cookery instructs readers on how to prepare meals based on a kitchen garden.[4] It was created to promote healthy eating among individuals who could not afford meat, rather than those avoiding it for ethical reasons.[5][6] It primarily advocates an lacto-ovo vegetarian diet, including eggs and dairy, though some recipes feature meat. Additionally, it includes 70 recipes, each claimed to cost no more than two pence at the time of publication.[7] A number of recipes in the book are found elsewhere.[5] The book also includes an early recipe for oat milk.[8]
Reception
[edit]A review in The Monthly Review criticises the cookbook, questioning where the editor found such outdated and misleading content. It specifically takes issue with the claim that the 70 twopenny recipes are suitable for the poor during times of scarcity, arguing that most of the recipes cost far more than two pence to make, with some costing even triple that amount. The reviewer suggests that only the basic water gruel could be made for the stated cost.[9]
The Journal Encyclopédique was similarly critical of the book's claim of offering 70 dishes each costing only two pence, stating that in reality, none of the dishes could be prepared for less than twelve pence per person. The reviewer also expresses doubt about the quality and appeal of the dishes. Despite this, the author is acknowledged for their intent to help the poor, though the execution is seen as deceptive.[10]
Legacy
[edit]Primitive Cookery has been described as the first vegetarian cookbook, preceding Martha Brotherton's Vegetable Cookery.[11][b] Sandra Sherman argues that it is primarily a vegetarian cookbook, though its affiliation with vegetarianism is not absolute.[6]
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ Full title: Primitive Cookery; Or the Kitchen Garden Display'd. Containing a Collection of Receipts for Preparing a Great Variety of Cheap, Healthful and Palatable Dishes, Without Either Fish, Flesh, or Fowl; With a Bill of Fare of Seventy Dishes, That Will Not Cost Above Two-Pence Each. Likewise Directions for Pickling, Gathering, and Preserving Herbs, Fruits and Flowers; With Many Other Articles Appertaining to the Product of the Kitchen-Garden, Orchard, &c.
- ^ However, Primitive Cookery has recipes which contain meat, unlike Vegetable Cookery.
References
[edit]- ^ "Adam's luxury and Eve's cookery; or, the kitchen garden display'd". Wellcome Collection. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
- ^ Byrd, Melanie; Dunn, John P. (2 December 2020). Cooking through History: A Worldwide Encyclopedia of Food with Menus and Recipes [2 volumes]. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. 12. ISBN 978-1-61069-456-8.
- ^ Oxford, Arnold Whitaker (1913). English Cookery Books to the Year 1850. Henry Frowde; Oxford University Press. p. 97 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ Sherman, Sandra; Chotkowski, Henry (2004). Fresh from the Past: Recipes and Revelations from Moll Flanders' Kitchen. Taylor Trade Publications. p. 134. ISBN 978-1-58979-088-9.
- ^ a b Carter, Kevin (11 September 2014). "An 18th Century Vegetarian Cookbook, and a Peek into the Diets of the Poor". Savoring the Past. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
- ^ a b Sherman, Sandra (15 April 2010). Invention of the Modern Cookbook. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. pp. 211–212. ISBN 979-8-216-10463-6.
- ^ "Primitive Cookery Book". Townsends. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
- ^ "A cheap drink for ſamilies". Primitive Cookery; or the Kitchen Garden Display'd. London: J. Williams. 1767. p. 68.
- ^ "Art 11. Primitive Cookery". Monthly Review; Or, New Literary Journal. 36: 155 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Avril 1767". Journal Encyclopédique (in French). 3: 143–144. 1767 – via Google Books.
- ^ Stott, Martin (2015). The Cowley Road Cookbook. Signal Books. p. 53. ISBN 978-1-909930-32-2.
External links
[edit]| International | |
|---|---|
| Other | |
