De artificio zuchari – rozdział o sztuce cukierniczej w Lumen apothecariorum Quirica de Augustisa z 1492 roku

For a better understanding of old confectionery it is necessary to turn to pharmaceutical sources. The book by the Piedmontese physician and apothecary Quirico de Augustis entitled Lumen apothecariorum, published in Turin in 1492, is one example of this kind of work. It was printed many times at the turn of the 16th century, and in later centuries it became one of the basic sources of apothecaries’knowledge in the area of manufacturing both medicines and sweets. The Polish translation includes the 13th chapter taken from the aforementioned work, titled “De artificio zuchari.” The 24 recipes include instructions for preparing different types of candies, candied fruit, jam, marzipan, and jelly. The author also listed seven detailed instructions on how to colour sugar to various hues and how to mould sugar mass into specific shapes resembling people, animals, and objects.