Chinese Ink

Ingredients

smoke of sifted chickpeas, ground beans, water of beet, salt, Qalqant, Arabic gum, Kathira, water

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

Take of the smoke of sifted chickpeas ten ounces, and of the ground beans three ounces and mix them all with grinding, and pour upon them the water of the beet the weight of five dirhams and five dirhams of salt and the weight of three dirhams of *Qalqant*. Grind all well, and leave it until it dries and becomes like a powder, then grind it with water and knead it with two dirhams of Arabic gum and three dirhams of *Kathira* then it is moistened with water and kneaded until it is corrected, and make from it tablets to dry in the shade, and add to it if you need after the drying the water of the gum until it reaches its end.

Remarks

The recipe describes making ink tablets from chickpea soot, beans, beet water, salt, *Qalqant* (a type of vitriol), Arabic gum, and *Kathira*. The ingredients are ground, mixed, and formed into tablets, which are then dried in the shade. Additional gum water can be added after drying as needed.