A methodology for analysing recipe books

The methodology discussed in this article was developed for the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund)-funded project “Anthropology of Food: Cooking and Food Habits on Both Sides of the Straits of Gibraltar. Andalusia and Morocco, 19th-20th Centuries”. It aims to facilitate a comparative analysis of recipe books and a large quantity of recipes, taking into consideration all their various components. Two computer applications were developed for this purpose: “Índice” (Index) and “Recetas” (Recipes). The first of these permits a comparative analysis of the ingredients, condiments and main culinary techniques of 5000 recipes, whilst the second was used to undertake a more in-depth analysis of a series of recipes, grouped according to culinary typologies.