عصفر

Ingredients

العصفر, القلى الطوري, خل خمر, حب الرمان

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

The preparation of Al-Usfur (Safflower) begins by washing the material until all extraneous liquid is removed and it remains dry. The safflower is then opened by hand. To this, 13 dirhams of crushed 'Al-Qali al-Turi' (alkali) are added, specifically by first mixing in 5 dirhams and then another 5. The mixture is worked by hand until the red color is released. If the color is successfully extracted, it is transferred to a strainer (Al-Hamal) and water is poured over it to wash the color into a basin (Qasriya) below (p. 165). For fixing or creating variations, two ounces of high-quality wine vinegar can be added. Alternatively, pomegranate juice (from 4 awaqa of seeds soaked in 2 ratls of water) can be used instead of vinegar (p. 165).

Evidence

"خذ العصفر ففتحه بيدك جميعا حتى لا يبقى منه شيء إلا وقد تفتح . فإذا صار على هذه الصفة فخذ من القلى الطوري وزن ثلاثة عشر درهم مدقوقة معدة عندك ، فألق منها على العصفر وزن خمسة دراهم واخلطه بيدك جميعاً حتى يختلط فيه كله ، ثم افعل بخمسة دراهم أخرى"

Remarks

The text provides a clear indicator of the chemical process: when the hands turn red, the 'limit' (hadd) of the alkali has been reached. This suggests a pH-dependent extraction process typical of carthamin from safflower. The recipe emphasizes the need for pure water and careful mixing to avoid residue (p. 165).