recipe

A recipe is a set of instructions for preparing a particular dish or drink. It lists the ingredients with their quantities and provides a sequence of steps explaining how to combine and cook them. Recipes may also specify yields or servings, preparation and cooking times, required equipment, and techniques, as well as notes on substitutions, dietary considerations, storage, and serving suggestions.

Typically the ingredients are presented in the order they are used, followed by procedural steps written in imperative language. Many recipes include temperatures, temperatures at different stages, and optional tips such as equipment choices or sensory cues (how to tell when something is done). In professional kitchens, recipes may be standardized to produce consistent results, with precise weights and times.

The word recipe comes from Latin recipe, the imperative form of recipere, meaning "take [this]." It entered English through Old French and originally referred to medicinal or pharmacological prescriptions before expanding to culinary instructions. The Western tradition preserves early cookbook fragments and works such as Apicius from late antiquity, and the modern practice of codifying recipes grew with printed cookbooks and domestic science in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Different culinary cultures express recipes with varying degrees of precision. Some cooking relies on estimation and tasting rather than fixed measurements, while baking often requires strict ratios. A recipe may be accompanied by nutrition information, allergen notes, or suggestions for substitutions and adaptations to accommodate dietary restrictions or available ingredients.

Today, recipes are disseminated through cookbooks, magazines, restaurant menus, and increasingly online databases and apps. Modern recipe formats may include photos, video demonstrations, ratings, and user comments, and some provide structured data for search and meal planning.