The Epicurean

First published in 1894, The Epicurean is a comprehensive record of late 19th-century haute cuisine as practiced in the United States. Its author, Charles Ranhofer, was the long-serving chef of Delmonico’s in New York, one of the most influential restaurants of its time. The book reflects the culinary standards, service styles, and professional organisation of elite dining during the Gilded Age.

The volume is extensive and highly systematic, presenting recipes and menus grounded in classical French technique and adapted for American contexts. It assumes access to skilled labour, specialised equipment, and a well-provisioned kitchen, and is therefore best understood as a professional reference rather than a domestic cookbook.

Today, The Epicurean is valued primarily for its historical and technical significance. It offers insight into the foundations of modern fine dining and documents the ambitions and practices of a formative period in American culinary history.