The Emperor's Banquets - by Francisco Lellis

This book brings together 140 menus from the 19th century collected by D. Pedro II. The documents were donated by the Emperor to the National Library of Rio de Janeiro shortly before his death and appear as precious records among the thousands of pieces that make up the D. Theresa Christina Maria Collection. The menus are mostly in French and have been translated and interpreted in full, constituting a huge contribution to the understanding of French gastronomy in the 19th century and its influence on Brazilian gastronomic formation. The work also includes a chapter with a description and comments on the main cookbooks from the 19th century and on the origins of Brazilian cuisine from this period. Somewhat more academic, this annex contains historical data that is still little known about this culinary bibliography and provides the reader with information about gastronomic production in imperial Brazil. The reader new to the world of gastronomy will find an explanation of the terms and definitions that gave rise to the menus, historical images of the first printed menus and texts about the nascent art of design and the printing process in Brazil.