balādhur

Ingredients

anacardium nut, mountain grapes (analogy for acridity)

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

The nut is described as resembling a 'chestnut in colour' and being 'shaped like a bird’s heart' (p. 46). It was sold in specialized markets such as the Sūq al-ʿAṭṭārīn (Drug and Perfume Market) in Fez (p. 46). The dye property is inherent in the acrid nature of the nut, which was reported to 'burn the user's tongue' (p. 46).

Evidence

"balādhur was natively grown in China, where it was used to dye hair black, in India and on Sicily’s Mount Etna."

Remarks

While primarily discussed as a medicine and a marking ink in the Egyptian context, the text records its broader regional use as a black hair dye in China and its trade in the Mediterranean and North Africa (p. 46). The text characterizes the substance as having 'hot and dry' qualities according to the medieval medical model (p. 45).