In Anonimo Toscano’s Libro de la Cocina and the Liber de Coquina (both written in the 14th century), there are a few recipes for pancakes. In the Latin source, for example, we find crispa, simply made with flour, water, and yeast, served with sugar or honey; crispella, made with flour, egg yolks, and saffron, served in the same way; and then, two recipes for fristella. The first is the one we present today; the second is made with the same ingredients (flowers and egg whites), fried in pork fatback, and served with either sugar or spices.
The use of sugar, in this case, does not mean that the fristellae are sweet: the addition of a little sugar is typical of medieval preparations and is common in all types of dishes, regardless of whether they are sweet or savory. In the last two recipes, there is no mention of yeast, but they are evidently the same kind of preparations as the two previous recipes, so we should conclude that this ingredient is taken for granted.
In the Libro de la Cocina, the same recipes are slightly different, since the Tuscan author tends to make additions and change the methods of the Latin source, thus obtaining new, original dishes. The author calls these pancakes crispelli or frittelle Ubaldine.
Anonimo Toscano omits the first recipe, the plain one with just flour and water, and presents the second, colored with egg yolks and saffron, without any changes. The following recipe is very interesting because it is an original addition: pancakes for the lean days made by substituting hen eggs with fish eggs, as typical of medieval culture, with the addition of saffron. The author does not specify that these crispelli must be fried in olive oil, which is the common cooking fat in the lean days, but probably he did not feel that it was necessary to explain such an obvious step, so deeply linked to the religious culture of the world in which he lived.
In the recipe we are preparing today, Anonimo Toscano uses onions and herbs, which must be sautéed in olive oil or pork fatback before being added to the batter. We skipped this passage and followed the instructions in the Liber de Coquina. We used lard instead of pork fatback, but olive oil is another perfect option.
Use whatever edible flowers you like. We chose some we harvested in the fields around our house, but you can use any available in the Old World, such as elderflowers, thyme, mint, marjoram, oregano, sage, lesser calamint, or borage flowers. The amount of flowers is up to taste, as is the addition of aromatic herbs. According to the author of the Liber de Coquina, we may add the seasoning we want, for instance black pepper or ginger would be perfect with this blend of flavors, but you can also just use some aromatic herbs as we did.
If you want to color the pancakes as recommended by Anonimo Toscano, use saffron or herb juice: pound some herbs in the mortar, for instance parsley and mint, then add a little water and pass the liquid through a sieve. In this case, do not add water to the batter but only this herb extract.
The Libro de la Cocina, also known as Anonimo Toscano, is a complete and fascinating cookbook written in the Tuscan vernacular in the 14th century. It collects 175 recipes for all kinds of medieval dishes, including meat, fish, and vegetables, pies, and pasta. The author provides different variations for lean or fat plates, making this source an exhaustive and satisfying guide to recreate historical dishes and experiment with medieval preparations according to our taste, using ingredients that are mostly common and easy to find. Our translation of Anonimo Toscano’s Libro de la Cocina comes with an introduction about medieval cooking, basic methods, and ingredients, as well as notes to the text and a glossary.
For those who want to explore more about medieval food, we recommend checking out Registrum Coquine. A medieval cookbook and De Observatione Ciborum. Early-medieval recipes at the court of the Frank. You find further articles and translations of historical sources on our Patreon page.
If you are interested in the uses of flowers and aromatic herbs in historical cooking, we suggest taking a look at Early Italian Recipes. Vegetables, fruit, herbs, and flowers, which collects many recipes from the Antiquity to the early Modern Era. For those fascinated by ancient food, we recommend reading Ancient Roman Cooking. Ingredients, Recipes, Sources.
To support our work, you can buy us a beer or purchase our merchandise.
Ingredients
200 gr white wheat flour
flowers (wild rose, meadow sage, savory, mustard)
aromatic herbs (lesser calamint, spearmint)
2 egg whites
sourdough
lard
salt
Method
Beat the egg whites. Prepare a batter with the flour, the egg whites, a tablespoon of sourdough, and two pinches of salt, adding water until you get a fairly liquid mixture. Leave to rise for a few hours. Mince the aromatic herbs, then mix the herbs and flowers with the batter.
Melt the lard and add the pancakes one by one. Cook for a couple of minutes on each side and serve hot.
Original text (Anonimo Toscano)
Simile puoi fare con cipolle trite con nepitella e herbe; e friggelle con oglio o lardo; poi prendi farina, e distempera insieme tutte cose con albume d’ova, e mettivi fiori di sambuco e altri fiori, come tu vuoli; e diversifica i colori come ti piace, e mettili in lardo bolliente con la mescola spartitamente.
Translation
You may prepare a similar dish with onions, minced with lesser calamint and herbs. Fry them with oil or pork fatback, then add flour and mix all these ingredients with egg whites. Add elderflowers and other flowers, as you want, and vary the colors as you like. Place [the pancakes] one by one in hot pork fatback with the ladle.
Original text (Liber de Coquina)
Pro fristellis faciendis recipe farinam distemperatam cum albumine ovorum et pone flores sambuci vel alios flores quoscumque volueris et diversifica colorem secundum voluntatem et cum quibus salsamentis volueris pone ad coquendum in lardo cum cocleari divisim.
Translation
To make fristella, take flour mixed with egg whites and add elderflowers or the flowers you like. Diversify the color as you wish with the seasonings you want. Cook with pork fatback [adding them] one by one with a spoon.
Buy me a coffee
Patreon
Medieval Tuscan Recipes Playlist
Ancient Roman Recipes Playlist
Ancient Greek Recipes Playlist
Medieval Recipes Playlist
YouTube Channel
Merchandise
Books
Libro de la Cocina by Anonimo Toscano. Medieval Tuscan Recipes
Early Italian Recipes. Vegetables, fruit, herbs, and flowers
De Observatione Ciborum by Anthimus. Early-medieval recipes at the court of the Franks.
Registrum Coquine by Johannes Bockenheim. A medieval cookbook
Ancient Roman Cooking. Ingredients, Sources, Recipes
Translations of Historical Sources
De Agri Cultura by Cato – first part (2nd century BCE)
De Re Coquinaria by Apicius (Ancient Rome)
Apicii Excerpta by Vinidarius (5th or 6th century)
De Observatione Ciborum by Anthimus (6th century)
Appendicula de Condituris Variis by Johannes Damascenus (8th or 9th century)
De Flore Dietarum (11th century)
Tractatus de Modo Preparandi et Condiendi Omnia Cibaria (13th or 14th century)
Liber de Coquina – first part (14th century)
Enseignemenz (14th century)
Opusculum de Saporibus by Mainus de Maineris (14th century)
Libro de la Cocina by Anonimo Toscano (14th century)
Anonimo Veneziano (14th century)
Registrum Coquine by Johannes von Bockenheim (15th century)
Libro de Arte Coquinaria by Maestro Martino – parts 1-4 (15th century)
Recipes
Tuscan Fish Cakes – Salciccie di Pescio
Tuscan Stew with Pork Belly and Rutabaga
Pork and Onion Soup
Tuscan Radish Soup
The Diet of the Franks – Endive and Pork Jowl
Tuscan Fried Meatballs
The Diet of the Franks – Chicken Stew
Castagnazzi
Renaissance Stuffed Cucumbers
Pork Roast with Cherry Sauce
Renaissance Fried Tomatoes
Herbolata
The Diet of the Franks – Beef Stew
Fried Chicken Soup
Beef Roast with Garlic Sauce
Bread Soup
Salted Meat and Peas
Baghdadi Rice Cream
Chicken with White-Pepper Sauce – Piperatum Album
Indian Chickpeas and Meat
The Diet of the Franks – Pork Stew
Chestnut and Mushrooms
Lentils with Oregano and Watermint
Egyptian Bread with Pistachios and Almonds
Veal with Fennel-Flower Sauce
Pork Roast with Green Sauce
Eggs Poached in Wine
Brodium Theutonicum
Crispellae – Pancakes with Saffron and Honey
Brodium Sarracenium – Chicken Stew
Fava Beans and Pork
Erbe Minute – Meatballs with Herbs
Lettuce and Pork Soup
Zanzarelli – Egg and Cheese Soup
Turnip and Beef Soup for Servants
Cheese Pasta – Vivanda Bona
Gratonata – Chicken Stew
Chickpea Soup with Poached Eggs
Apple Fritters
Hippocras and Claretum – Mulled Wine
Pastero – Pork Pie
10th-century Goat Roast – A Langobard at the Court of the Byzantine Emperor
Romania – A Recipe Between Arabic and Italian Tradition – Medieval Chicken with Pomegranates
Emperor’s Fritters
Medieval Pizza – The Origin of Pizza
Roast Chicken with Salsa Camellina
Sweet Rice
Afrutum or Spumeum – 6th-century Byzantine recipe
A Medieval Breakfast – Wine, Carbonata, and Millet Bread
Salviata – Eggs and Sage
Tria di Vermicelli
Cabbage Soup
Frittelle Ubaldine – Pancakes with Flowers and Herbs
Saffron Cheesecake
Drunken Pork – Early Medieval Pork Stew
Medieval Monk’s Stuffed-Egg Soup
Apple Pie
Onion Soup
Gnocchi
Lentils and Mustard Greens
Chicken soup – Brodo Granato
Turnip Soup
Beans and Bacon – Black-Eyed Peas
Prawn Pie – Pastello de Gambari
Foxtail Millet Polenta and Spit-Roasted Goose
Beef Stew
Blancmange
Leek Soup
Quail Stew with Coconut
Chicken Pie
Ravioli
Almond Cream
Red Mullet Soup
Spit Roast Beef with Arugula Seeds
Walnut Bread
Lasagna
Tripe
Fried Fish
Roast Lamb with Green Sauce
Clams
Sweet and Sour Sardines
Trouts with Green Sauce
Lamb Stew
Quails with Sumac
Chicken with Fennel Flowers
Sea Bream
Historical Italian Cooking 