The First Edition Of This Antique Cookbook Is Worth Over $4,000 Today

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Cookbooks these days are a dime a dozen. Almost every celebrity chef and foodie influencer has at least one, and according to Marketplace, around 20 million cookbooks are sold every year. But it hasn't always been this way for this popular genre. Three hundred years ago, one of the most popular cookbooks of the 1700s was published in London. "The Compleat Housewife," first published in 1727, went through 18 editions until its final printing in 1773. It was also the first cookbook ever printed in the English Colonies when Virginia printer William Parks published it in 1742.

The antique book contains the first published recipe for "katchup" (it was called catsup before that) — which included an interesting mix of mushrooms, anchovies, and horseradish. It's also credited with being the first source for bread and butter pudding. Overall, you're not going to feel like you're reading an Ina Garten cookbook with full-page photos when you purchase this book. But that's not the point. If you're a cookbook junkie or an armchair foodie historian, this one will hit different. It's simply an important piece of culinary history. So if you're interested in getting your hands on a copy, can you get one without paying nearly $5,000?

Early editions of any rare book are expensive. But because of the cookbook's early printing date, as well as its significance in early culinary history, first editions currently sell for around $4,470 through online seller AbeBooks. If you want a historical edition without paying nearly $5,000, you can buy the fourth edition – published in 1730 — on the same site for a relative bargain: around $750. If you're just curious about the recipes and don't care about collecting rare tomes, the bookseller sells a newly published soft-cover version of the cookbook for around $23. Amazon sells a paperback copy for $19.99. And you can even buy an e-book version through Barnes & Noble for $14.99 or for the Kindle for $9.99.

Keep in mind that you're probably not going to use most of these recipes. Well, we guess you could if you're really adventurous. There are some, however, that are pretty basic and very similar to recipes you might see today. A few examples include "To make Green Peas Soop," "To pickle Cucumbers," and "To make Cheesecakes," which are all recipes you could handily find easier, modern versions of online. But the cookbook also includes curious historical gems like "To Collar a Calf's Head" — so good luck with that. If all of this sounds interesting, you might find this 300-year-old book deserves a spot on your cookbook shelf. It's a fascinating look at how meals were prepared way back in the early 18th century.