De re coquinaria is traditionally attributed to which Roman gourmet?

De re coquinaria is traditionally attributed to Marcus Gavius Apicius.

Marcus Gavius Apicius was a wealthy Roman gourmet associated with the reign of the emperor Tiberius in the 1st century AD. Ancient writers portray him as a symbol of extravagant dining, and later tradition attached his name to Roman culinary expertise. That reputation explains why the cookbook commonly called Apicius became linked with him.

The attribution is traditional rather than proven. The surviving collection is a compilation, and no evidence establishes that Marcus Gavius Apicius personally wrote the entire text. It may preserve recipes and culinary material from different periods and authors, while the name “Apicius” functioned as a prestigious label connected with luxury cuisine.

This distinction is easy to miss because modern references often use “Apicius” both for the cookbook and for the famous gourmet. The book’s full title is commonly given as De re coquinaria, meaning “On the Subject of Cooking,” and its recipes offer an important, though filtered, glimpse of Roman ingredients, techniques, and tastes.