Suhuf
Arabia
14th Century
Recipe Details
Ingredients
Sadr (Lotus), Khutmi (Marshmallow), Nisha (Starch), Khall (Vinegar), Ma' (Water)
Preparation Steps
The recipe describes the 'pillars' (arkan) of treating sheets (suhuf). It involves taking Sadr (lotus), Khutmi (marshmallow), and Nisha (starch), mixing them with vinegar (khall), and beating/mixing them into a pound (ratl) of water (p. 4). This mixture is used to treat the paper surface to prepare it for writing and ensure the preservation of the material.
Original Recipe Text
The recipe describes the 'pillars' (arkan) of treating sheets (suhuf). It involves taking Sadr (lotus), Khutmi (marshmallow), and Nisha (starch), mixing them with vinegar (khall), and beating/mixing them into a pound (ratl) of water (p. 4). This mixture is used to treat the paper surface to prepare it for writing and ensure the preservation of the material.
Evidence
"وأما أركان هذه السير وهي ما هو من سدر وخطمي ونشا وخل يضرب في رطل ماء"
Remarks
This section explicitly describes the sizing or surface treatment of paper sheets to avoid 'Wasakh' (dirt or impurities) and ensure a smooth writing surface. The use of starch and plant mucilage (marshmallow/lotus) is a common historical practice in the Islamic world to reduce paper porosity (p. 4).
Scientific Analysis
Analytical Techniques
Tajriba
Darb
Certainty Level
Probable
Instrumentally Verified
Not Verified
Metadata
Material Type
paper
BinderNisha, Sadr, Khutmi
Paper TypeSuhuf
ColorAbyad
RegionArabia
Approx. Year1350
Source Information
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