القراطيس / الرُّقُوق

Ingredients

الصَّمْغُ العَرَبيُّ, ماءُ الكَثِيراءِ, النَّشاستَج

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

Soak Arabic gum in water for one hour until completely dissolved. Alternatively, use tragacanth (kathira) water or starch (nashastaj) (p. 149). Apply the adhesive to the paper surfaces to be joined. Fold the paper carefully and wrap it in a clean cloth. Place it under a pillow or heavy weight to dry thoroughly while flat (p. 149, p. 150).

Evidence

"يُنْقَعَ الصَّمْغُ العَرَبيُّ في الماءِ ساعةً حتَّى يَذُوبَ، ثُمَّ يُلْصَقَ به، وكذلك ماءُ الكَثِيراءِ أو النَّشاستَج، ثُمَّ تَطْوِيَهُ طَيّاً رقيقاً، وتَجْمَعُهُ في منديل نظيف، ويُوضَع تَحْتَ وِسَادَةٍ حتَّى يجفَّ."

Remarks

The text distinguishes between 'Qirtas' (derived from Chinese paper traditions) and 'Ruquq' (parchment/skin). The starch-based adhesive (nashastaj) is described as a 'Persian loanword' in the footnotes, indicating cross-cultural exchange in paper-making technologies (p. 149, 150).