Manpo Ryori Himitsubako
- Year
- 1785
- Era
- 18th century
- Origin
- Japan · East Asia
- Language
- Japanese
- Category
- Japan
Manpō Ryōri Himitsubako, or "Treasure Box of Culinary Secrets," is a late Edo-period Japanese cookery compendium issued anonymously in 1785. Part of the flourishing genre of ryōri-bon that brought once-restricted kitchen knowledge to an expanding urban readership, it gathers preparations and household techniques in the encyclopedic "secret box" format then fashionable, offering valuable insight into the foodways, ingredients, and culinary aesthetics of Edo Japan.
Cooking from this book
Tamago Hyakuchin (One Hundred Egg Dishes)
Signature dishThis Edo period compendium is celebrated above all for its inventive treatment of the humble hen's egg, presenting a remarkable array of preparations that range from delicate steamed custards to layered omelettes and decorative boiled forms. The book belongs to the hyakuchin tradition of single ingredient cookery manuals that flourished in late eighteenth century Japan, and its playful, encyclopaedic approach to eggs has made it a touchstone for anyone interested in the refinement of townspeople's cuisine during the period.
An editorial note on a dish associated with this book, written for The Coquinist. It is not a reproduction of the book's recipe.
