Ketty Thull

Rue Ketty Thull in the village of Moutfort

Ketty (Catherine) Thull (2 February 1905, Medingen – 25 October 1987, Esch-sur-Alzette) was a Luxembourg cook, educator and cookbook writer who is remembered above all for her influential Luxemburger Kochbuch published in 1946.^[1] On its publication, the book received a positive review in the Luxemburger Wort which commented that it was a "treasure trove of really interesting, useful recipes" including 80 clearly and precisely described meat dishes, as well as 30 vegetable preparations. It also presents recipes for the national dishes of Luxembourg such as Treipen, Gehäk, Kuddelfleck, Judd mat Gardebo'nen and Sterzein.^[2]

Thull, who had studied cookery at the Ecole Le Cordon Bleue in Paris, taught at a housemaids school in Esch-sur-Alzette.^[3] In 1937, she published her first book Ratgeber für die Luxemburger Hausfrau beim Konservieren der Nahrungsmittel (Guide for the Luxembourg Housewife on Preserving Foodstuffs), Luxembourg's first ever cookbook. To supplement her Kochbuch, in 1947 she published Desserts und Backwaren (Desserts and Pastry Cooking).^[4] Thull carefully typed each page of her books and had them printed at her own cost. Carlo Sauber, who has updated the cookbook for modern users, explained that little was known about Ketty Thull except that her students remember her as being very strict. She never married and had no children.^[3]

Her works have remained popular in Luxembourg where they are still used for their authentic local recipes.^[3]

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