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, p. 494. script (written entirely in capital letters) commonly used from the 4th to ...

manuscript in

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, 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 ...

, 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; 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 " ...

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 Lo ...

. 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 cuisine.

Bibliography

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