"The Apothecary Diaries" First Official Cookbook to be Released on May 13! Includes New Stories by Hyuganatsu

The long-awaited official cookbook, The Apothecary Diaries: Maomao’s Formulation Book (Recipes), from the mega-hit series that has surpassed 45 million copies in circulation, will be released on Wednesday, May 13.

The Apothecary Diaries is a mystery-entertainment series based on the novels by Hyuganatsu. Set in the inner court of a vast, fictional empire inspired by ancient China, the story follows Maomao, a young pharmacist who was kidnapped and sold as a servant. Using her extensive knowledge of medicine and sharp intuition, she solves various incidents and troubles within the palace. Her brilliance eventually catches the eye of the beautiful eunuch Jinshi, leading to her appointment as a high-ranking consort’s official poison taster.

This cookbook features recipes for many dishes that captured the hearts of readers, all fully supervised by the original author, Hyuganatsu. Highlights include the "Aphrodisiac" Chocolate Maomao made at Jinshi's request and the "Friendship Frozen Dessert" she shared with Xiaolan and Shisui.

Ahead of the release, a new cover illustration by light novel artist Touko Shino has been unveiled. It depicts Maomao slipping away from a banquet to prepare a frozen dessert at Jinshi’s request, with Jinshi eagerly awaiting the result.

The "Frozen Dessert"—which Maomao prepares for Jinshi just as she did for Xiaolan and Shisui—is made by cooling and solidifying ingredients using ice and salt. The recipe for this symbolic "Friendship Frozen Dessert" is currently available to view online.

Furthermore, Hyuganatsu has written five brand-new short stories exclusively for this book. They are titled:"Namasu" (Raw Fish and Vegetable Salad) "Two-Layered Sake" "Skewers" "Sweet Potato Sweets" "Braised Pork"

The book also includes the previously limited-edition story "Cacao Sweets," bringing the total to six short stories for fans to enjoy.

To celebrate the cover reveal, a new recipe for "Marble Cacao Sweets" has been released on the web. This is a dish Maomao created after being taught the technique by Suiren, Jinshi’s head lady-in-waiting. The short story that served as the basis for this recipe has also made its web debut.

Other previously revealed official recipes include "Moonlit Sky Jelly," "Ecstatic Poison-Tasting Soup," "Market-Stroll Skewers," "Suiren’s Western-Style Baked Goods," and "Check-up Chicken Porridge." Further updates will be announced via the official X account for the original series.