May Cake from Meister Eberhard

Looking at the similarities in the structure and technical vocabulary, I think we can safely say the recipe collections of of Meister Eberhard, the Königsberg MS and Cod Pal Germ 551 share more than a common culinary tradition. Beyond that, nothing new here.

<<R9>> Wiltu machen ein meyschen kuchenn.

If you want to make a May cake.

Take ten eggs and beat them well. Add parsley and stir it in, then take a mortar and place it on the coals and put into it a spoonful of fat and let it get hot. Pour in the egg and let it bake at a gentle heat, then turn it out onto a bowl in one piece. Do not oversalt it.

Meister Eberhard is a recipe collection that belongs into a south German context, most likely associated with the court of Bayern-Landshut during its ascendancy in the first half of the 15th century. We know nothing about the putative author other than that he claims he was part of the kitchen staff there. The text contains an eclectic mix of recipes and dietetic advice heavily cribbed from a variety of sources, including the (unattributed) writings of St Hildegardis Bingensis. The text is published in A. Feyl: Das Kochbuch Meister Eberhards. Diss. Freiburg i.B. 1963 and online on the website of Thomas Gloning.

This entry was posted in Uncategorised and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *