What was Leonardo da Vinci’s favorite recipe?
Leaving my Stanford University class one dark evening, I met a gentleman named Jonathan Gifford who introduced himself after learning of my admiration for Leonardo da Vinci. As we walked towards Palo Alto, he shared with me his passion for culinary, and in return, I promised to share with him da Vinci’s favorite recipe.
Da Vinci’s recipe for The Last Supper, born from the mind of the Renaissance’s most remarkable figure and the artist behind the world’s most iconic version of the Last Supper, stands as a tribute to his unwavering devotion to animal welfare and vegetarianism. Although his vegetarianism was ahead of its time, da Vinci’s commitment to it was widely recognized throughout Italy, and it would take another five centuries for this practice to gain broader acceptance. In a 1515 letter sent from India to Giuliani Medici in Italy, the Florentine traveler Andrea Corsali wrote about Leonardo’s vegetarianism, stating that“Certain infidels called Guzzarati do not feed on anything that contains blood, nor do they permit among them any injury to be done to any living things, like our Leonardo.”
The master deep reverence for all forms of life is eloquently captured in Giorgio Vasari’s seminal work, Lives of the Most Excellent Architect, Painters and Sculptors of Italy (1550:) “He always kept servants and horses, which later he took much delight, and particularly in other animals which he managed with the greatest of love and patience. And this he showed after passing the places where birds were sold, for taking them in his own hand out of the cages, and having paid to those who sold them the price that was asked, he let them fly away into the air, restoring to them their lost liberty.” This extraordinary display of empathy and respect for life is reminiscent of the renowned naturalist and philosopher, John Muir, who too saw the intrinsic value and beauty of all living beings.
Michael White, the historian and author of “Leonardo: The First Scientist” (2000), sheds light on the origins of Leonardo’s Easter, vegetarian, and humanist beliefs: “Indeed, Leonardo was greatly influenced by travelers he met in Florence and Milan, and he was fascinated with all things linked to Eastern culture. He probably learned vegetarianism from such sources and he was almost certain to have stumbled upon recipes from the Far East handed to him by peripatetic painters and philosophers who crossed his path.”
Despite being a confirmed vegetarian, da Vinci’s notes contain references to meat purchases, likely intended for his non-vegetarian students. Surprisingly, he even invented a machine that could grind sausage meat, which was later praised by Renaissance chef Bartolomeo Scappi in his book Opera (1570), said: “[da Vinci] invented a pit with a propeller that turned in the heat fire.” This automated invention was animated by the process of hot air rising which turns the propellers, turning the spit. Da Vinci endorsed his new automated product by saying “This is a way to cook meat … since the roast will turn slowly or quickly depending on whether the fire is strong or weak.”
During his visits to royal and religious patrons at their castles and events, da Vinci would partake in a light meal of green salads, fish, fruit, vegetables, bread, mushrooms, cereal, and pasta. He had a particular fondness for chickpea soup, which he referred to as “la minestra,” and preferred to have it served steaming hot. While engrossed in writing and sketching in his notebook, he would often conclude sentences with “et cetera,” meaning “and other things” in Latin, and when returning to the page, he would explain his break by saying “it is because my la minsetra is getting cold.”
“If you want to be healthy, heed this advice, eat only when hungry, and let light fare suffice. Chew all your food well, and this rule always follows. Well cooked and simple, be all that you swallow. On leaving a table, a good posture keeps, and after your luncheon, do not yield to sleep. Let lil and often be your rule for wine, but not between meals or when ready to dine.”
Leonardo da Vinci.
In the final years of his life, da Vinci was invited by King Francis I to move to Clos Lucé in France. After his death, when his home library at Clos Lucé was examined, the discovered a cookbook titled Platina de honest voluptate containing da Vinci’s favorite vegetarian recipes, providing insight into the man’s culinary tastes and preferences. It’s touching to imagine him poring over the pages of the book, perhaps finding solace in its contents during his final days.
Following is authentic recipes from da Vinci’s 1487 edition of Platina:
The Last Supper
La Minestra (Luis in Cecere Rubeo) means Chickpea soup.
From Platino: “Wash a pund or more of chickpeas in hot water. After being washed they should be put in a pot to simmer without water. With your hands mix half an ounce of a meal, a lil oil and salt, and twenty grains of coarsely ground pepper and ground cinnamon, and then put this near the hearth with three measures of water, and add sage, rosemary and finally chopped parsley roots. Let this bill so that it is nearly cooked, drop in a lil oil; but if it is a juice for sick persons, only add a lil oil and spices.”
Dear da Vinci, your legacy has lived on to the present day, and you are widely regarded as one of the greatest artists in history. Thank you for your contributions to the world of art and for inspiring generations to come.
