Who Wrote The First Cookery Book?

Mrs Beeton wrote one of the most famous books to address cookery and recipes but her 19th century work is positively modern in comparison with the work which claims the title for earliest known cookery book. That honour goes to an author by the name of Apicius who wrote a book on cookery in the 2nd or 3rd century AD. Several versions of his work are preserved in manuscripts dating from the 9th to the 15th centuries. The work of Apicius was not indexed until the first printed, rather than handwritten, edition was published in Basel in 1541. The first index ran to 14 pages and in later editions was as long as 70 pages. Any modern cook searching for that thing Jamie Oliver does with lamb will appreciate how important a detailed index is in cookery books. The title "De re quoquinaria"(Latin for "on the subject of cooking" for Apicius's work came into use in the 16th century.