When “Royal Recipes” Became More Widely Known: Origin and Development of “Royal Cookbooks” in King Rama V’s Reign to Girls’ Schools’ Establishment

Abstract

Royal Cookbooks were first originated in the reign of King Rama V but they did not record steps and cooking instruction in detail. Once the royal recipes were published, they became more popular because the dishes were more elaborately created than those of the commoners. After that, the cookbook became more widespread. This article aims at examining the origin and the development of royal cookbooks together with observing how the recipes have been widely spread to those outside the palace precincts. “Royal cookbooks” were a part of “becoming civilized” like western countries corresponding with King Rama V’s policy to improve and develop the whole of Siam, including culinary culture. Originally there were some cookbooks which became a model for subsequent cookbooks among royal and noble families. All manifest the development of collecting and transmitting how the royal recipes were cooked and recorded during King Rama V’s period.  It is also found that a factor that helped make known royal recipes was the establishment of girl schools where female royal members or court ladies were invited to teach housekeeping subjects so that royal recipes would become known “outside the court” as we see today.