onion water (ماء البصل)
Egypt
13th Century
Source: Raggetti, L. (2023). Ordinary Inks and Incredible Tricks in the ʿUyūn al-ḥaqāʾiq. Brill.
Recipe Details
Ingredients
onion water
Preparation Steps
The scribe writes on a sheet of paper using pure onion water. The writing remains invisible until the paper is held near a fire. The heat causes the writing to appear in a red color (p. 179).
Original Recipe Text
The scribe writes on a sheet of paper using pure onion water. The writing remains invisible until the paper is held near a fire. The heat causes the writing to appear in a red color (p. 179).
Evidence
"Write on the sheet and it will not appear until you place it near to the fire, and then it will appear. This is that you write using onion water."
Remarks
Similar recipes are found in Fani and al-Qalalusi. This is categorized as a sympathetic ink where organic compounds in the onion juice char at lower temperatures than the paper (p. 179).
Scientific Analysis
Analytical Techniques
Philological analysis
Certainty Level
Inferred
Instrumentally Verified
Not Verified
Metadata
Material Type
ink
ColorRed
RegionEgypt
Approx. Year1250
Source Information
AuthorRaggetti, L.
CollectionKitāb ʿuyūn al-ḥaqāʾiq
Language
N/A
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