Cajsa Warg

Cajsa or Kajsa (Anna Christina) Warg, (23 March 1703 in Örebro- 5 February 1769 in Stockholm), was a Swedish cookery book author. She is the best known historical cook and cookery book author in her country's history.

Anna Christina Warg was born in Örebro to accountant Anders Warg and Karin Livijn. She left home early to be the cook and house keeper of several powerful people in Stockholm, such as count Wolter Reinhold von Stackelberg, called ”the greatest glutton of his time”.

In 1755 she published was to be a very long lived classic of the kitchen: "Hjelpreda I Hushållningen För Unga Fruentimber," followed by a long row of new versions, of which the last version was printed in 1822. The book contained not only recipes but also such things as coloring of textiles and other things concerning a household. It was to be the leading household guide for generations, until the new equipment for a kitchen outdated it in the 20th century. It also describes the Swedish kitchen before the use of potatoes, which makes it an important historical document.

Cajsa Warg is famous for the saying: "You take what you can get, says Cajsa Warg"; the original phrase was: "You take what it is you possess...", which she mentions in several recipes.

References

* Österberg, Carin m.fl., "Svenska kvinnor: föregångare, nyskapare." Lund: Signum (1990) ISBN 91-87896-03-6