Acetaria: A Discourse of Sallets

Acetaria: A Discourse of Sallets by a 1699 treatise on salads and vegetarianism by English writer John Evelyn. Frequently considered the first book on salads, it emphasises the health, moral, and philosophical benefits of a diet based on vegetables. Drawing from Classical antiquity and French culinary traditions, Evelyn advocates for the use of fresh vegetables in simple, balanced salads. The book includes a catalog of 82 salad ingredients, detailing their growing seasons and preparation methods, alongside a nine-step guide to salad-making that emphasises ingredient quality, proper seasoning, and the use of suitable utensils.
Acetaria also associates vegetarianism with the idea of Eden, proposing that returning to a vegetable-based diet represents a more natural and pure state, akin to humanity's prelapsarian harmony. In line with 17th-century intellectual trends, the treatise links vegetarianism to concepts of natural purity, health, and moral virtue, positioning it as one of the earliest works to explore vegetarianism from both a culinary and cultural perspective.
John Evelyn (1620–1706) was an English author, diarist, and country gentleman, known for his works on fine arts, forestry, and religion. Evelyn studied at Oxford and the Middle Temple before traveling across Europe. After the Restoration, he held various public roles and became a member of the Royal Society in 1662. As a member, he contributed to the society's work, particularly in forestry and agriculture, and promoted the mezzotint engraving technique in his book Sculptura (1662). His Sylva, or A Discourse of Forest-Trees and the Propagation of Timber (1664) became a key work on forestry.
In 1668, Robert Boyle, a founding member of the Royal Society, published a list of research topics in the Philosophical Transactions, including the question, "What herbs are fit to make Sallets, and how are they to be ordered for that purpose?" Best known for formulating Boyle's Law on gases, he inspired Evelyn to write Acetaria. The material was gathered as early as 1679 and was originally intended as a chapter in his comprehensive horticultural encyclopaedia, Elysium Britannicum, which was posthumously published in 2001.
Evelyn's work was influenced by the Protestant Reformation and the Age of Reason, which emphasised the pursuit of natural knowledge as a means of restoring a lost ideal state, often associated with the biblical Garden of Eden. It was also connected to early vegetarian movements in England, which were influenced by religious and ethical considerations. Some 17th-century thinkers associated vegetarianism with Adam's prelapsarian diet, viewing it as both healthier and morally preferable.
Furthermore, Evelyn's work also reflects a broader 17th-century interest in horticulture, seen in other contemporary publications such as Nehemiah Grew's The Anatomy of Plants and Sir Hugh Plat's The Garden of Eden.
Acetaria examines the historical and medicinal aspects of vegetable consumption, referencing the Greek physician Galen, who associated raw vegetables with balancing the body's humours. While presented as a scholarly discourse, the book includes discussions on horticulture and gastronomy, incorporating practical advice alongside cultural and scientific observations.
The book discusses late 17th-century culinary practices, which included an increasing emphasis on fresh vegetables and simpler flavours. Influenced by Classical antiquity and French culinary traditions, Evelyn advocated for the appreciation of vegetables both for their taste and their perceived health benefits.
Evelyn's approach to salad-making incorporated ideas about balance, health, and refinement. He viewed the careful selection and preparation of ingredients as a means of achieving harmony, drawing parallels between well-composed salads and an idealised state of natural purity.
It includes a catalog of 82 different salad ingredients, along with information on their growing seasons and preparation methods. Evelyn provides a structured nine-step guide to dressing a salad, which emphasises ingredient quality, proper seasoning, and the selection of appropriate utensils and serving vessels. His recommendations include using silver knives to avoid metallic tastes, porcelain or Delftware bowls instead of pewter, and infusing wine vinegar with aromatics such as cloves and rosemary.
The book includes an appendix of recipes, with its centrepiece being an elaborate recipe for the perfect, purest, and most exquisitely balanced salad. Evelyn proposes that although Eden itself may be unattainable, a miniature yet perfect version can be found in the form of the ideal salad. This recipe, serves as a miniature version of the Royal Society's project to reproduce the plants of Eden in England.
Historian of vegetarianism Howard Williams, in his 1883 book The Ethics of Diet, regards Acetaria as an important work in advocating for the vegetarian diet. However, Williams contends that, despite its exploration of this dietary philosophy, it has often been overlooked by those addressing the intellectual and moral needs of the reading public.
C. F. Main in his 1983 paper "John Evelyn's Salads" describes the book as a delightful work that, despite Evelyn never completing his planned horticultural opus, reveals his attractive character more effectively than his famous Diary. He also asserts that the book showcases Evelyn's wit, eloquence, curiosity, enthusiasm, and learning.
Acetaria is often considered the first book on salads. However, it has also been interpreted as more than just a cookbook, reflecting broader 17th-century intellectual and cultural values. Sandra Sherman argues that the book aligns with contemporary ideas about knowledge, nature, and purity. She further contends that Evelyn's emphasis on natural cultivation and his warnings against artificial growing methods—such as unseasonal planting or excessive fertilisation—echo modern concerns about food purity, including the use of pesticides and genetically modified crops.
Sherman also argues that Evelyn's work presents vegetarianism as a lifestyle that integrates various culinary concerns, such as seasonality, elegance, health, the use of proper equipment and ingredients, and taste. She suggests that it can be considered one of the first notable vegetarian cookbooks, although its intended audience was small, and its philosophical references may not have been fully recognised by many readers. Despite this, Sherman contends that Acetaria remains an influential text, demonstrating how a specialised work can have lasting significance and relevance beyond its original context.
Acetaria was published in 1699, printed for B. Tooke in Fleet Street, London. It was dedicated to Lord Chancellor John Somers, president of the Royal Society, and Evelyn personally presented him with a copy. A second edition was published in 1706, also printed by B. Tooke.
In 1937, an edition was published by the Women's Auxiliary of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, with a foreword by Helen Morgenthau Fox. In 1996, another edition was published by Prospect Books, edited by Christopher P. Driver, with an introduction by Tom Jaine.