Le Viandier was one of the first “haute cuisine” cookbooks, offering a framework for its preparation and presentation at table (1). Taillevent was a master cook to Charles V, and to please his patron, Taillevent goes into detail on the spices that should be used for various dishes. Poudre Dulce is but one of his sweet spice blends.

Ingredients

2 ½ tsp (10g) ground cinnamon
½ tsp (2g) ground ginger
½ tsp (2g) ground Grains of Paradise
¼ tsp (1g) ground nutmeg
¼ tsp (1g) ground Galangal
1 cup (201g) sugar

Directions

Combine all parts of spices, mixing well and store in an airtight jar.

From Le Viandier de Taillevent, 14th century

(1) Trubek, Amy B. (2000). Haute Cuisine: How the French Invented the Culinary Profession. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. pp. 4–6. ISBN9780812217766.