Medieval Secrets Hidden in “The Forme of Cury” Cookbook

Step into a royal kitchen in 1390. A precious treasure lies open on a table. What is it? A handwritten cookbook. A cook passionately debates the merits of saffron, treating it like liquid gold as she glances at the manuscript. The air is thick with the scent of roasting meats. Whole animals slowly turn on massive spits over roaring fires. This professional manuscript is crafted for the court of Richard II. Welcome to the world of The Forme of Cury.

What’s “Cury”?

What does “cury” even mean? In Middle English, “The Forme of Cury” from the 1300s translates to “cookery”. So, the title of this culinary gem in today’s English is “The Method of Cooking”.

Who Wrote This Culinary Manuscript?

Not a celebrity chef or a monk with a quill. The book was probably authored by master cooks of Richard II’s royal household. These elite royal chefs orchestrated huge feasts that dazzled nobles, ambassadors, and political rivals. This was culinary propaganda, grand statements of wealth, power, and global trade. Every dish claimed, “We can afford spices from distant lands.”

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What’s in The Forme of Cury?

There are approximately 200 recipes in this cookbook. The recipes are intended for experienced cooks, as they have no measurements. As a royal cook, you are expected to know your craft. You will find recipes for these typical items.

• Exotic Meats: Venison, swan, capon, and even lamprey, a prized eel-like fish.
• Thick Soups or Stews: Early stews that blended flavors in ways that would stun modern palates.
• Daring Combinations: Meats paired with sugar or vinegar mingling with fruit. Medieval cooks were culinary adventurers!

Spice, Always The Status Symbol

In the royal kitchen, spices went beyond flavor enhancers; they were status symbols. Cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and, of course, saffron traveled thousands of miles through intricate trade networks. A heavily spiced dish was a powerful statement: “Look how globally connected and affluent we are!” Royal courts and noblemen wanted to make sure you knew that food was power. In those days, politics were wrapped in a sumptuous feast.

Shattering Stereotypes

This manuscript shatters the stereotype of medieval food being bland and boring. Not a chance with the Forme of Cury. We learn:

• Technical Mastery: Medieval cuisine was sophisticated and intentional.
• Organized Kitchens: Elite kitchens were highly structured, reflecting culinary professionalism.
• Global Connections: 14th-century England was already a power player with global trade networks. 

Imagine Being a Royal Cook

It’s the 1390s, and you are a royal cook. You are working with no thermometers, no printed books, no timers, and no refrigeration. All you have to do is feed a king and make it look effortless. Enter The Forme of Cury, more than a cookbook. A testament to the refined, global, and dramatic world of medieval cuisine.

SKopp, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Blancmanger, A Medieval Dish to Try

Blancmanger is a delightful medieval dish. Once a luxurious staple for nobility, it’s a sweet-savory treat made with chicken, almond milk, rice, and sugar. Blancmanger is elegant and easy to digest, which is very important in medieval times.

Here’s a modern adaptation

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 4 cups unsweetened almond milk
• ½ cup white rice
• 2–3 tablespoons sugar (to taste)
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• Pinch of salt
• Optional: a tiny pinch of saffron and a sprinkle of cinnamon for flair

Instructions:

1. Poach the Chicken: Simmer chicken in water until fully cooked (15-20 minutes). Remove and shred until fine.
2. Cook the Rice: In another pot, simmer rice in almond milk until soft and porridge-like. Stir frequently.
3. Combine: Mix shredded chicken into the rice.
4. Season: Stir in sugar, ginger, salt, and saffron (if using).
5. Cook Gently: Simmer for another 5-10 minutes until thick and creamy.
6. Serve Warm: Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon.

What’s It Like?

Creamy, mild, and slightly sweet, this dish is comfort food with a medieval twist. You might take a moment to get used to the thought of chicken in a dessert. The medieval diners would have really appreciated its elegance.

Ancient Recipes Impact Us Today

A Legacy That Rewrote Culinary History:

The Forme of Cury is far more than a medieval curiosity. Written around 1390 for Richard II’s court, it’s one of the earliest and most influential English cookbooks.

The manuscript impacts us in several ways:

• It helped establish cooking as a skilled profession rather than mere domestic labor.
• It preserved techniques and kitchen management at a time when most knowledge was transmitted orally.
• The medieval love of combining sugar with meat influenced European cuisines for centuries. Dishes like blancmanger evolved across France and Italy, becoming the desserts we still eat today. A very popular one is the jello mould.
• The heavy use of spices reveals England’s early participation in trade routes linking Europe to the Middle East and Asia.
• For historians, it offers a rare window into medieval economics, agriculture, health beliefs, and social hierarchy.

The Forme of Cury gives us a little-understood window into the sophistication of medieval English cuisine. It quietly dismantles the tired myth of turnips and gruel.

Let this sink in: royal cooks in 1390 were experimenting with saffron, almond milk, sugar, vinegar, and complex sauces. This was centuries before modern fusion cuisine had a name.

Food has always been storytelling. And this manuscript tells us that even in the Middle Ages, dining was a performance of politics, and power served on a silver platter.

As we reflect on the culinary wonders of the past, it’s a humbling reminder of how food connects us across time. Imagine what future generations will think of today’s culinary choices. Will they ponder our obsession with avocado toast and smoothies?

Selected Sources 

Hieatt, Constance B., and Sharon Butler, eds. Curye on Inglysch. Oxford University Press, 1985. 

Woolgar, C. M. The Culture of Food in England, 1200–1500. Yale University Press, 2016.https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300204499/the-culture-of-food-in-england-1200-1500/

Image source: Forme of Cury, cookbook manuscript page (MS 7, fol. 18v), late 14th century. Public domain. Via Wikimedia Commons.

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My research draws on travel experiences, books, and, sometimes, AI tools. I love using my own photos whenever possible, but occasionally I include stock or AI-generated images to help illustrate the story.