Adalbert Raps Library has one more attraction
Dr. Manuela Mahn presented her latest book "144 Spices" to Yola Klingel, Managing Director of the Adalbert-Raps-Stiftung, which supports the library.
Adalbert Raps Library has one more attraction
Seasoning in a new dimension
The Adalbert Raps library in the museums at the Mönchshof in Kulmbach currently contains around 12,000 books and magazines on spices, food, nutrition and enjoyment. The scientific reference library is now one work richer: Dr. Manuela Mahn presented her latest book "144 Spices" to Yola Klingel, Managing Director of the Adalbert-Raps-Stiftung, which supports the library. www.raps-stiftung.de
Kulmbach,30.06.2025
The world of spices is also the world of Dr. Manuela Mahn. In her new book "144 Spices", she adds a new dimension to the topic of seasoning. "I want to break down the way we think and encourage people to be bold," says the spice expert. The book contains all the ingredients that make food and drinks aromatic and tasty, as well as factual knowledge in the form of a short spice biography, information on quality criteria and exciting combinations in the field of "food pairing". "If I bake cookies, for example, what do I do with the cardamom afterwards?" asks Manuela Mahn. Rice or stewed fruit would harmonize very well with the spice. "Curry is also very versatile and goes very well with kale." Manuela Mahn prefers regionality, although of course a large proportion of the spices are not available regionally, "but there is now even saffron from Thuringia."
Spice up your life
The spice expert is trying to make the world of enjoyment exciting through a new spice culture, which is why she is taking a new look at spices. Her new book is about everything we season with, because "everything is nothing without it." True to the motto "Spice up your life", she takes her readers on a journey into the world of spices - from a brief historical excursion through product and botany to processing tips. The core of the book, however, is formed by the 144 spice portraits, in which each individual spice is examined in detail: Cultural history, plant portrait, kitchen practice, aroma and food pairing spice knowledge and phytotherapy, always inspired by short recipe tips. A reference work that was rightly voted "Best German Cookbook 2024" in the category of product knowledge last November.
Spice book comes "home"
By handing over the book to the Adalbert-Raps-Stiftung, sponsor of the spice library in the museums at the Mönchshof in Kulmbach, Manuela Mahn is confirming her long-standing connection with the museums and the foundation. "With '144 Spices', Dr. Manuela Mahn once again demonstrates her undeniable expertise and her unwavering passion for spices and culinary delights," says Dr. Matthias Gebauer, Managing Director of the museums at the Mönchshof in Kulmbach. Mahn's scientific achievements as one of the most important spice experts in Germany are still a cornerstone of the German Spice Museum at the Mönchshof in Kulmbach and "we can look back on ten years of close and valued collaboration." Matthias Gebauer is therefore extremely pleased that Manuela Mahn has once again highlighted the diverse significance of spices with her new book. Her book will greatly enrich the Adalbert Raps Library in the Mönchshof museums. "On behalf of the Museen im Mönchshof, I would like to congratulate Dr. Mahn on her book."
The Adalbert Raps Presence Library
The aim of the Adalbert Raps Library on the History of Spices is to create and maintain a collection of source material that is as representative as possible in terms of cultural studies and can be scientifically evaluated. The library comprises German-language literature on the history of spices as well as a wide-ranging collection of cookbooks from the 17th century to modern times. The cookbooks reflect the cultural history of food in a unique way, for example food trends, table manners and kitchen equipment. The more than 12,000 titles focus on the botany, origin, history, trade, cultivation, processing and use of spices.
The Adalbert Raps Library on the History of Spices is housed in the Museum Educational Centre (MUPÄZ) of the museums in Kulmbach's Mönchshof.
www.kulmbacher-moenchshof.de
