Vinidarius (fl. 5th century AD) was the purported compiler of a small collection of cooking recipes named ''Apici excerpta a Vinidario''. This is preserved in a single 8th‑century

uncial Uncial is a majuscule Glaister, Geoffrey Ashall. (1996) ''Encyclopedia of the Book''. 2nd edn. New Castle, DE, and London: Oak Knoll Press & The British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one ...

manuscript in

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

, claiming to be excerpts from the recipes of ''

Apicius ''Apicius'', also known as ''De re culinaria'' or ''De re coquinaria'' (''On the Subject of Cooking'') is a collection of Roman cookery recipes. It is thought to have been compiled in the fifth century AD. Its language is in many ways closer ...

''.

About Vinidarius himself nothing is known. If he existed, he may have been a

Goth A Goth is a member of the Goths, a group of East Germanic tribes. Two major political entities of the Goths were: *Visigoths, prominent in Spanish history *Ostrogoths, prominent in Italian history Goth or Goths may also refer to: * Goth (surname) ...

; his Latin name suggests a possible Gothic name of Vinithaharjis. There is a very abbreviated

epitome An epitome (; gr, ἐπιτομή, from ἐπιτέμνειν ''epitemnein'' meaning "to cut short") is a summary or miniature form, or an instance that represents a larger reality, also used as a synonym for embodiment. Epitomacy represents "t ...

entitled ''Apici excerpta a Vinidario'', a "pocket Apicius" by "an illustrious man" named Vinidarius, made as late as the

Carolingian era The Carolingian Empire (800–888) was a large Frankish-dominated empire in western and central Europe during the Early Middle Ages. It was ruled by the Carolingian dynasty, which had ruled as kings of the Franks since 751 and as kings of the Lom ...

. There is in fact very little overlap with the Apician manual, but the recipes are similar in character, and are usually presented today as an appendix to ''Apicius'': they add to our knowledge of

late Antique Late antiquity is the time of transition from classical antiquity to the Middle Ages, generally spanning the 3rd–7th century in Europe and adjacent areas bordering the Mediterranean Basin. The popularization of this periodization in English has ...

cuisine.

Bibliography

*, pp. 309–325 * * * {{Authority control 5th-century Latin writers 5th-century Romans of Gothic descent Cookbook writers