La Chapelle and Massialot

an 18th Century Feud

Abstract

A number of important new cookery books appeared in France in the latter part of the 17th century. And a further cloudburst of new works rained down in the middle years of the 18th century. But from about 1695 until 1740 or so there was a curious lull. With only minor exceptions, all the new cookery books of this period were the work of two men, François Massialot and Vincent La Chapelle. 

Massialot had in fact produced the first version of his book, which was originally called Le Cuisinier roial et bourgeois, in 1691 and it was reprinted on at least four occasions during the following fifteen years. But in 1712 he produced a changed and enlarged version called Le nouveau Cuisinier Royal et Bourgeois and this was again enlarged in 1730 and later. The enlargements were sufficiently considerable to warrant describing the later versions as new writing. 

La Chapelle first published his work The Modern Cook (in English) in 1733. In 1735 he published both a French version (Le Cuisinier Moderne) and a reprint of the English version. A second French edition, with a new volume added, came out in 1742. 

Thus these two writers dominated the field for some time; and they did so in sharp rivalry. Massialot accused LaChapelle of plagiarising him unscrupulously. La Chapelle rejected the charge outright and held up some of Massialot's recipes to ridicule. He invited anyone to compare the two rival works and stated his conviction that the result could only be a complete vindication of his own position. 

One might have expected Massialot to take up the challenge. But he did not. It seems likely that he died or had died (the year of his death seems not to have been established with certainty) at the relevant time. And there is no sign, so far as we know, that the gage flung down by La Chapelle in 1742 has been taken up until now, 237 years later. 

Philip and Mary Hyman, Americans who live in Paris and who have for years been studying the history of French cookery and French cookery writing, have, at long last, carried out the methodical comparison needed to establish the truth. We are glad to present here the rather startling results; and we hope that they will follow up this investigation by attempting, next year, a considered assessment of La Chapelle's work and of his reputation as an innovator in the history of French cooking.