Brassolettes and rafiałs: Culinary recipes of Władysław Rogaliński from around 1650

Abstract

The collection of recipes of Władysław Rogaliński, the castellan of Nakło, dating from around 1650, is an example of the interest of a member of the rich nobility in the sphere of cuisine and a testimony to the reception of northern Italian models. A noteworthy addition to Baroque aesthetics, corresponding with the sensitivity of the Polish nobility, is the use of culinary terminology based on Italian. Not only is this evidence of the reception of fashionable taste and trends of that period and the strategy of social distinction, but also indicates the adoption of this phenomenon through German influences. At the same time, castellan Rogaliński’s collection of recipes lacks any references to the new French (classical) culinary model promoted from the mid-17th century, which had been present in Poland since the first half of that century.