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Ryzon Baking Book (1916)

 






Here’s another history geek post for my friends into baking:

This is the first antique cookbook I ever bought. It’s a promotional recipe book for Ryzon baking powder dated 1916. Hardcover, 82 pages, with about 20 colored drawings, making this a pretty luxurious book for its time. Interesting for two reasons:

1 - baking powder itself was a relatively recent invention - by chemists! - and they had to teach home bakers how to use it instead of traditional leavenings and

2- this comes 10 years after the Food and Drug Act was passed to stop the horrifying hazards that had been unregulated in commercially sold foods (sawdust in bread, for example). This cookbook has a strong emphasis on science and cleanliness in the copy and illustrations.

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