Recipe Manuscript

Torta De Zanahoria

Name: Torta De Zanahoria
Prep time: PTPT20M
Cook time: PTPT30M
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 500 grams carrots; 100 grams rustic bread (or substitute with baguette or country loaf), toasted; 100 grams aged cheese (such as Cotija, or substitute with Parmesan); 2–3 large eggs; 50–100 grams lard (or substitute with unsalted butter or vegetable oil); 1 medium yellow onion; Salt, to taste

"Carrot Cake"

1900

From the treasured pages of Mexican Cooking Notebook of Traditional and Original Mexican Recipes

Unknown Author

Age of Gastronomy (1800 - 1900)American Intermediate Lunch Dinner Snack

Original Recipe • 1900

Original Manuscript(circa Age of Gastronomy, 1800 - 1900)

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

Torta De Zanahoria

"Se cuece la zanahoria se le quita el corazon y se esprime para que no suelte agua y se muele se tuestan pedazos de pan y se le muele se le muele queso añejo y se revuelbe con huevo y se pone a quemar manteca y se echa al comal con lumbre para que cueza y luego se parten pedazos y se echa en la especie que se hace de este modo se frie en manteca cebolla."

English Translation

"The carrot is boiled, the core is removed, and it is squeezed so it doesn't release water and then mashed. Pieces of bread are toasted and ground, aged cheese is ground, and everything is mixed with egg. Lard is heated and the mixture is put on the griddle over the fire to cook. Then it is cut into pieces and added to the sauce, which is made as follows: onion is fried in lard."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in a narrative, almost conversational style—common in the early 20th-century Mexican home—but lacks precise measurements, assuming the cook had experience and judged quantities by eye and feel. Spelling reflects regional and orthographic conventions of the time (such as 'revuelbe' instead of 'revuelve'). Techniques are described in the order of action: boil, mash, fry, with ingredients nested within instructions rather than listed separately. This format reveals a culinary culture where knowledge was shared by demonstration and spoken word as much as by the written page.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Mexican Cooking Notebook of Traditional and Original Mexican Recipes - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Mexican Cooking Notebook of Traditional and Original Mexican Recipes (1900)

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

Writer

Unknown

Era

1900

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A delightful journey through the flavors of Mexico, this notebook brims with both traditional and original recipes—from sopa de chile to sangria—inviting you to savor the vibrant tastes and inventive spirit of Mexican home cooking at the turn of the century.

Kindly made available by

University of Texas at San Antonio

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This Torta de Zanahoria recipe hails from an anonymous Mexican household notebook dating back to circa 1900. The notebook is a time capsule, brimming with both traditional and innovative Mexican dishes that mirror the daily rhythms and festive gatherings of turn-of-the-century homes. Recipes such as this one tell us about resourcefulness—using carrots and old bread to create a nourishing meal—and the creative merging of Spanish and indigenous ingredients that shaped Mexican cuisine. Food preparation in this era was deeply communal and marked by the skills passed from one generation (or cook) to another, with recipes emerging not from books, but from memory, intuition, and lively kitchen conversation.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

The original cook would have used simple but sturdy wares: a clay or metal pot for boiling carrots over a wood-fired or charcoal stove; a mortar and pestle or hand grinder to crush toasted bread; and a grater for the cheese. Mixing could be done in a large bowl, and eggs would be beaten by hand. Cooking was done on a comal or heavy frying pan placed directly over live coals or a wood fire, and lard was rendered fresh at home. To finish, the patties would be briefly fried with onion in a broad skillet, likely made from cast iron or copper.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

30 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 pound (16 ounces) carrots
3.5 ounces rustic bread (or substitute with baguette or country loaf), toasted (about 4 slices)
3.5 ounces aged cheese (such as Cotija, or substitute with Parmesan)
2–3 large eggs
2–3.5 ounces lard (or substitute with unsalted butter or vegetable oil, about 4 to 7 tablespoons)
1 medium yellow onion
Salt, to taste

Instructions

Begin by boiling about 1 pound (16 ounces) of carrots until tender.
Cut the carrots open, remove the core if present (modern varieties may not have a tough core), then squeeze out any excess water using a cloth or fine sieve.
Mash or blend the carrots until smooth.
Toast about 3.5 ounces (about 4 slices) of rustic bread until golden, then grind it into crumbs by hand or in a food processor.
Grate about 3.5 ounces of aged cheese (such as Cotija or Parmesan for a substitute).
Combine the mashed carrots, ground bread, grated cheese, and 2–3 large eggs in a bowl, mixing until a thick batter forms.
Heat a generous amount of lard or unsalted butter in a frying pan.
Drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto the hot fat, shaping them into patties, and cook over medium-high heat until they’re golden on both sides.
Once cooked, remove from the pan and keep warm.
For the sauce, sauté one chopped onion in more lard or butter until soft and translucent, then briefly fry the cooked carrot patties in this onion mixture to infuse them with additional flavor before serving.

Estimated Calories

250 per serving

Cooking Estimates

Preparing this dish takes about 20 minutes. Cooking the carrots, frying the patties, and sautéing the onions together take about 30 minutes. Each serving has about 250 calories. The recipe makes 4 servings.

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.