الزرنيخ الذهبي

Ingredients

الزرنيخ الذهبي, عسل

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

Take golden arsenic, grind it thoroughly with honey for several days, then filter it and use it for writing (p. 159).

Evidence

"صفة حبر أصفر: إذا أخذ الزرنيخ الذهبي واصحقه [اسحقه] بعسل أياما وصفه واكتب به"

Remarks

This recipe describes a traditional method for producing a yellow pigment/ink in Najd using arsenic sulfide (orpiment) and honey as a binder (p. 159). Other yellow colorants mentioned in the region include saffron (za'faran) and yellow oak gall dregs (akar al-afs) mixed with arsenic (p. 160).