Celtnet Recipes by Historical Period Home Page

The Ancient Period for which recipes are provided on this site covers the Stone Ages (Paleolithic and Neolithic) as well as the Bronze Age and Iron Age. For Britain this covers a period extending from 8000 BCE to 40 CE.

As no written records exist these recipes, of necessity, have had to be reconstructed from archaeological evidence and from watching other cultures and how they prepare their foods. The recipes below represent best attempts at reconstructing the foods of our ancient ancestors:

The Roman Period covers the entirety of the Roman Empire, from 500 BCE to the fall of Rome in 400 CE and the recipes presented here come from all across the Roman world.

As ever, most of the recipes derive from Apicius' De re coquinaria ('On the Subject of Cooking'), [late 4th century] the Roman cookbook, though I have derived recipes from as many other Roman sources as possible as well as including Greek and Egyptian recipes (Greek slaves were the predominant chefs of the Roman world and Egypt was a part of the Roman empire).

The Medieval Period in Europe covers the period from the fifth to the 16th centuries CE (essentially from the fall of rome to the Tudor age). It is the time when modern cookery as we know it evolves in France.

This is also the period that the first cookbooks begin to appear, mostly representing the cookery of the royal household. Indeed, one of the main sources of recipes from this period is the The Forme of Cury which is a recipe list compiled about 1390 CE in the kitchens of King Richard II of England. Though recipes also derive from a number of other sources.

The Elizabethan Period covers the years 1558 to 1625 (and should really be termed the 'Jacobethan' period). This covers the reigns of Elizabeth I of England and James I of Britain.

This is the period in which the first, truly modern, recipe books appear, as publishing itself takes off in Europe. For the first time recipe books are written and published by private individuals.

The Georgian Period covers the years 1714 to 1820. This covers the reigns of the four Georgian kings (George Ist to George IVth, inclusive).

This represents a large selection of recipes, primarily originating in Hannah Glasse's Cookbook of 1747.

The Victorian Period covers all the recipes on this site from the 19th century to the early 20th century. This is the period of the rise of the modern chef and the start of the modern cookbook.

This represents a large selection of recipes, primarily originating in Mrs Beeton's Cookbook and the celebrity chef, Francatelli's The Cook's Guide and Housekeeper's & Butler's Assistant.

The Modern Period covers all the recipes on this site from the beginning of the 20th century to the modern day, as well as traditional recipes that are commonly cooked today. This is the period of the raise of the modern chef, culminatin in their current celebrity status.

This represents by far the largest collection of recipes on this site, covering just about every conutry and cooking method in the world. There are traditional recipes here as well as ultra-modern and fresh recipes invented just now, some of which are unique to this site.

The Fusion Period represents the current 'new wave' in cookery where foods and flavours from different countries are mingled and combined to produce fresh and exciting dishes.

Here you will find dishes that mix the cuisines of Europe, Asia, Africa and Americas to produce novel foods never encountered before.