momofuku:
in april, momofuku took a trip to the new york public library’s rare books division. the library houses 26,000 menus and is noted as one of the largest collections of menus in the world. with an expansive menu collection dating back to the middle of the 19th century, nypl now turns its attention to menus from the new york city area in hopes to gain an expansive narrative of how cuisine has changed in our own backyard. the creation of their “what’s on the menu?” database now allows the public to search particular dishes and menu trends dating back to the 1850’s.
beyond menus, nypl’s culinary collection includes cookbooks and provides another avenue to explore an ever evolving industry. from manuscripts by the head cook for the vatican in 1475 to the second editions of t
he american cookery published in 1796, we are able to track not only the evolution of the culinary arts but also how the publishing, printing, and dissemination of information evolved over time both domestically and internationally.
special thanks to ssäm bar’s
elizabeth tilton for her gumshoe reporting!
