His name is well known in Italy, but few are really aware of his story and the book that made him immortal. “La Scienza in Cucina e l’Arte di Mangiar Bene” (Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well), a manuscript from 1891 that has also been translated into Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish, German, and French, made Pellegrino Artusi of Forlimpopoli famous worldwide. A writer as well as a food and literary critic, he probably thought he would go down in history for his work on the poet Ugo Foscolo, but he’s actually remembered for what’s called “the Gospel of Italian cooking.”
A unique treatise
His book, also known simply as “L’Artusi,” became a sort of watershed in the gastronomic culture of his era. He enhanced the national culinary tradition and did it with just the right dose of humor. Artusi, who paid for his book’s publication out of his own pocket because he couldn’t find a publisher willing to print it, collected recipes from all over Italy – some garnished with little personal comments, placing an appropriate emphasis on home cooking. This is why many people are grateful to him for imparting dignity to a huge mosaic of regional traditions that included fritters, fillings, stews, soups, sauces, roasts, boiled meats, ice creams and preserves. His book has sold more than a million copies and gone through a hundred editions.
Who was Pellegrino Artusi?
Pellegrino Artusi was born in Forlimpopoli on August 4, 1820, to Teresa and Agostino Giunchi. After studying at the Bertinoro Seminary, he began looking after his father’s affairs, but a turning point in his life was a raid by bandits on January 25, 1851. Stefano Pelloni, aka “Il Passatore,” (the Ferryman) was a vicious brigand from Romagna who led his gang in an attack on Forlimpopoli. He robbed the richest families while they were at the theatre. That night, in addition to invading the auditorium, the outlaws gang-raped several women, including Pellegrino’s sister Gertrude, who was seriously traumatized and had to be admitted to a mental hospital. After this terrible event, the Artusi family left Romagna and moved to Florence, where they ran a booth selling silk. Pellegrino got a job in Livorno with a large business and later founded a bank in Florence that brought him wealth and respect. The writer stayed there until his death at the age of 91.
Pellegrino Artusi
Food and literature enthusiast
Since he enjoyed a dependable income and a life of ease, Artusi never turned away from his fondness for writing and cooking. In 1865, he moved to a new home and withdrew into private life, spending all his time on his cultural interests, first writing a biography of Ugo Foscolo and then Observations as an Appendix on 30 Letters by Giusti. These two books published at his own expense did not have the success of the later “Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well” in 1891. The first edition of “Science” sold thousands of copies and were reprinted many times, and Artusi published fifteen editions over twenty years. Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well was not just a blockbuster but a work that critics deemed to be very important due to the language model it used, which helped to spread standard Italian throughout the peninsula.
An unusual book
This volume, which is still kept in many households, collected 790 recipes explained in an educational way, accompanied by the author’s reflections and anecdotes, presented in a witty and mordant manner. One example is his famous sentence, “With this practical manual, all you need to know is how to hold a ladle.” His efforts brought cooking knowledge and the secrets of good food to everyone in Italy. This is why Pellegrino Artusi remains a revered name in the world of Italian cuisine.