ndolla

Ingredients

iron water (ndo’irigam / do’iriijam), old iron clinkers, locust bean tree pods (BL11), rusty iron, vinegar from desert dates

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

Ndolla is made from water in which old clinkers and or locust bean tree pods (BL11) have soaked (p. 22). A rich dark brown ink results from combining vinegar from desert dates with rusty iron, where the ferrous oxide in rust reacts with the high sulfur content in dates to create a ferrous sulphate solution (p. 22).

Evidence

"Ndolla is a Fulfulde ink made from water in which old clinkers and or locust bean tree pods (BL11) have soaked."

Remarks

This ink represents a pragmatic adaptation of iron-gall ink principles using indigenous resources. It suggests a long familiarity with iron's reactive qualities (p. 22).