Recipe Manuscript

Betas

Name: Betas
Prep time: PTPT15M
Cook time: PTPT25M
Yield: 4
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 500g beets (with greens, or substitute chard/spinach for greens); 10g fresh coriander (or 1 tsp dried coriander seeds); 1 tsp ground cumin (about 3g); 50g raisins (or other dried sweet grapes); 50g wheat flour; 2 egg yolks (or whole marrow of 2 eggs, as a possible interpretation); 2 tbsp olive oil (about 30ml); 2 tbsp wine vinegar (about 30ml); 1 tbsp garum (Roman fish sauce; substitute Thai fish sauce or anchovy essence, about 15ml); 1 tsp mustard (about 5g; for the alternate version)

"Beets"

1475

From the treasured pages of Apicius - De re coquinaria (handwritten excerpts)

Written by Apicius

Renaissance (1400 - 1700)European Beginner Dinner Lunch Other

Original Recipe • 1475

Original Manuscript(circa Renaissance, 1400 - 1700)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

Betas

"Occides porrum, Coriandrum. Cominum. Uuam passam, farinam & ex ovis medullam mittes, ligabis & ita inferes & liquamine oleo aceto. Aliter betas elixas & senapi oleo modico & aceto bene inferuntur."

English Translation

"Beets. Kill leek, coriander, cumin, raisins, flour, and the yolk of eggs; mix them, bind them together, and thus serve with fish sauce, oil, and vinegar. Alternatively, boil beets and serve them well with mustard, a little oil, and vinegar."

Note on the Original Text

Roman recipes like this one are written in a terse, almost shorthand style—listing ingredients and key actions, but eschewing step-by-step instructions. Quantities were rarely specified as the cook was to use experience and taste. The Latin terms—like 'liquamine' for garum—may appear unfamiliar, but reflect the essential flavor bases of Roman cuisine. Spelling in the manuscript follows medieval conventions, sometimes diverging from classical Latin, such as 'uuam passam' (raisin) and 'senapi' (mustard). The instructions expect cooks to understand kitchen basics, like how to 'ligabis' (bind) a mixture, revealing the recipe's intended audience of skilled household cooks.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Apicius - De re coquinaria (handwritten excerpts) - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Apicius - De re coquinaria (handwritten excerpts) (1475)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Apicius

Era

1475

Publisher

Venice

Background

A delectable compendium of ancient Roman cookery, this collection invites you to taste the flavors of antiquity through ten tantalizing sections based on Apicius’s famed De re coquinaria. Savor recipes, tips, and culinary wisdom penned in a fine Italian hand for the epicurean elite of the 15th century.

Kindly made available by

University of Pennsyllvania

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe comes from a precious 15th-century Italian manuscript, part of a collection attributed to Apicius, the legendary Roman gourmet. These recipes reflect the tastes and methods of the late Roman Empire, drawing upon Mediterranean ingredients and unique flavor pairings. Betas offers a window into how ancient cooks combined earthy vegetables like beets with sweet and aromatic ingredients, showcasing both everyday and more refined approaches to preparing humble produce. The simplicity of the alternative version—just boiled beets with mustard, oil, and vinegar—provides a Roman twist on what remains a classic salad centuries later.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

This dish would have been prepared with a sturdy knife for trimming the beets, a mortar and pestle for grinding spices, and perhaps a wooden spoon for mixing. Cooking would use a simple clay or bronze pot over a fire, and serving would be on earthenware or wooden platters. To make the sauce, a small bowl or mortar would be used to blend the garum, oil, and vinegar before drizzling it over the finished beets.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Servings

We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!

Ingredients

1 lb beets (with greens, or substitute chard/spinach for greens)
0.35 oz fresh coriander (or 1 tsp dried coriander seeds)
1 tsp ground cumin (about 0.1 oz)
1.75 oz raisins (or other dried sweet grapes)
1.75 oz wheat flour
2 egg yolks (or whole marrow of 2 eggs, as a possible interpretation)
2 tbsp olive oil (about 1 fl oz)
2 tbsp wine vinegar (about 1 fl oz)
1 tbsp garum (Roman fish sauce; substitute Thai fish sauce or anchovy essence, about 0.5 fl oz)
1 tsp mustard (about 0.18 oz; for the alternate version)

Instructions

To prepare 'Betas' (beets), begin by trimming and cleaning about 1 lb of fresh beet greens and roots.
Have ready a small handful (around 0.35 oz) each of fresh coriander and ground cumin.
Take 1.75 oz of raisins, 1.75 oz of wheat flour, and use the yolk (or marrow) of 2 eggs to enrich the mixture.
Bind all together into a soft but firm mass.
Gently poach or cook this, and serve it dressed with a sauce of garum (or anchovy sauce as a substitute), olive oil, and vinegar.
Alternatively, you can simply boil or steam the beets, then serve them generously dressed with mustard, a dash of good-quality olive oil, and wine vinegar.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

Estimated Calories

170 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 15 minutes to prepare the ingredients and about 25 minutes to cook the beets and form the mixture. Each serving has around 170 calories, and this recipe serves 4 people.

As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.

We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.