The New Murrey and Blue blog

Richard II enjoyed ravioli….!

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Well, one lives and learns. I quote from this article : “….the first written mention of ravioli was in a 14th-century Tuscan merchant’s recipe and, surprisingly, around the same time in a cookbook written by one of King Richard II’s chefs….”

That one book has been enormously influential concerning our knowledge of medieval food. Richard II wasn’t a very warlike king, but boy, did he enjoy the finer things in life. And if his chef’s book is anything to go by, he certainly didn’t survive on rough bread and gruel.

Richard II, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9f66MCGJi8

I’ve always had a soft spot for Richard II (and no, Dave Allen, it isn’t a bog in the middle of Ireland!) Like Richard III he usually gets a bad press, but also like Richard III, he too was a man ahead of his time.

There are numerous publications of and about The Forme of Cury (all the major booksellers stock them).

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  1. H.J. Hill Avatar
    H.J. Hill

    Well, he and I would be in complete agreement on the subject of ravioli.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. viscountessw Avatar
      viscountessw

      He clearly liked his food, but unlike Fat Henry he didn’t swell up like a balloon! 😄

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      1. H.J. Hill Avatar
        H.J. Hill

        😀

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  2. Belle Avatar
    Belle

    Fun post! I’ve been meaning to find out more about the recipes in Forme of Cury for a while. I was not aware ravioli was in there.
    Been following your blog for a while as its rare to find anyone else so fascinated by Richard II. Thank you for introducing me to new information over the past year!

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    Reply
    1. viscountessw Avatar
      viscountessw

      Richard II is as maligned as Richard III, and I stand up for the both! Thank you for the praise of the blog.

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      Reply
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