Receptarium

Receptarium is a term used to denote a collection or compilation of recipes, especially those for medical remedies and pharmacological preparations, though it can also refer to culinary recipes. Derived from Latin receptarium, meaning a place to receive or store things, the word was used in medieval and early modern manuscript culture to designate a book containing prescriptions, remedies, or culinary formulas.

Historically receptaria appeared as manuscripts authored by physicians, apothecaries, or households, often assembled from authorities and later copied for instruction. They were organized by purpose (simple recipes for single ingredients, compound remedies) or by ingredient, ailment, or season. In medicine, they served as practical manuals for compounding preparations, dosages, and storage; in cooking they functioned as household cookbooks or regional compilations of dishes and techniques.

Contents typically include instructions for preparation, quantities, durations, and notes on substitutions, quality of ingredients, and storage. The genre overlaps with herbals, pharmacopoeias, and culinary codices. Some receptaria circulated in vernacular languages, making medical and culinary knowledge accessible beyond elite circles.

Today the term is mainly historical, used by scholars to describe manuscript traditions or to evoke period recipes in museums, libraries, or digital projects. The concept survives in modern compilations of herbal or medical recipes and in occasional literary or culinary works that reference historical receptaria.