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Guillaume Tirel, known as Taillevent (
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
: "wind-cutter" i.e. an idle swaggerer) (born ca. 1310 in Pont-Audemer – 1395), was an important figure in the early history of
French cuisine French cuisine () is the cooking traditions and practices from France. It has been influenced over the centuries by the many surrounding cultures of Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Belgium, in addition to the food traditions of the re ...
. He was cook to the Court of
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
at the time of the first Valois kings and the
Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of England and France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French throne between the English House of Plantagen ...
. His first position was ''enfant de cuisine'' (kitchen boy) to Queen
Jeanne d'Évreux Jeanne may refer to: Places * Jeanne (crater), on Venus People * Jeanne (given name) * Joan of Arc (Jeanne d'Arc, 1412–1431) * Joanna of Flanders (1295–1374) * Joan, Duchess of Brittany (1319–1384) * Ruth Stuber Jeanne (1910–2004), Amer ...
. From 1326 he was '' queux'', head chef, to Philip VI. In 1347, he became squire to the Dauphin de Viennois and his ''queux'' in 1349. In 1355 he became squire to the
Duke of Normandy In the Middle Ages, the duke of Normandy was the ruler of the Duchy of Normandy in north-western France. The duchy arose out of a grant of land to the Viking leader Rollo by the French king Charles III in 911. In 924 and again in 933, Normand ...
, in 1359 his ''queux'' and in 1361 his
serjeant-at-arms A serjeant-at-arms, or sergeant-at-arms, is an officer appointed by a deliberative body, usually a legislature, to keep order during its meetings. The word "serjeant" is derived from the Latin ''serviens'', which means "servant". Historically, ...
. The Duke of Normandy became Charles V in 1368 and Tirel continued in his service. From 1381 he was in service to Charles VI. Guillaume Tirel is generally considered one of the first truly "professional" master chefs. He died in 1395 at around 80 years of age. He expanded a collection of recipes as '' Le Viandier'', a famous book on cookery and cookery technique, thought to be one of the first professional treatises written in France and upon which the French gastronomic tradition was founded. The book is split into three sections. One outlines the proper way to present a dish, another focuses on using spices in dishes and the third highlights the importance of separating meat and fish from sauces when preparing a dish. It had an inestimable influence on subsequent books on
French cuisine French cuisine () is the cooking traditions and practices from France. It has been influenced over the centuries by the many surrounding cultures of Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Belgium, in addition to the food traditions of the re ...
and is important to food historians as a detailed source on the
medieval cuisine Medieval cuisine includes foods, eating habits, and cooking methods of various European cultures during the Middle Ages, which lasted from the fifth to the fifteenth century. During this period, diets and cooking changed less than they did in t ...
of northern France. During the reign of Philip VI, Taillevent was a major influence in the rise of courtly favor for the strong red wines being produced in the south of France as well as those coming out of
Burgundy Burgundy (; french: link=no, Bourgogne ) is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. The ...
. Editions of ''Le Viandier'' may be found in the
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The libra ...
and other public collections. Guillaume Tirel is still influencing cooking around the modern world. Today, many restaurants named "Taillevent" capitalize on the reputation of Guillaume Tirel. "Guillaume Tirel" was also the name of a catering business in
Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
(1989–1999). Additionally, there is a hospitality school, the Lycée Hôtelier Guillaume Tirel, which has 4 training restaurants and focuses their practices on the foundations of Guillaume Tirel's work in Le Viander. Guillaume Tirel's tombstone is preserved at the church of . He was buried in a tombstone created to show him wearing armour and carrying three cooking pots and a shield.


See also

*
Medieval cuisine Medieval cuisine includes foods, eating habits, and cooking methods of various European cultures during the Middle Ages, which lasted from the fifth to the fifteenth century. During this period, diets and cooking changed less than they did in t ...


Footnotes


References

* Johnson, Hugh, ''Vintage: The Story of Wine''. Simon and Schuster, 1989. *''Viandier of Taillevent: An Edition of All Extant Manuscripts''. University of Ottawa Press, 1988. *''Le Viandier de Guillaume Tirel dit Taillevent'', le Baron Jérôme Pichon et Georges Vicaire, Paris, 1892 (reprint by Slatkine Reprints, Genève, 1967). * Online version of ''Le Viandier'', translated by James Prescott: http://www.telusplanet.net/public/prescotj/data/viandier/viandier1.html


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tirel, Guillaume 1310 births 1395 deaths French chefs French food writers French male non-fiction writers