The first edition of Larousse Gastronomique was published in 1938.
The French-language reference work was created as a major encyclopedia of culinary arts, combining entries on ingredients, cooking methods, dishes, chefs, equipment, and food history. Prosper Montagné is credited as its author, and the original publication appeared in France through Éditions Larousse.
The 1938 edition was substantial for its time, running to 1,087 pages. Its ambition was broader than a typical recipe book: it treated cooking as both a practical craft and a cultural subject, preserving terminology and traditions alongside instructions and definitions.
Readers sometimes confuse the original French publication date with later English editions or modern reissues. The work has been revised and translated several times, so publication dates vary depending on which edition is being discussed. The quiz asks for the first edition, making 1938 the canonical answer.