An ancient Middle Eastern hangover cure found in the cookbook Kitab al-tabikh, written nearly a thousand years ago by Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq. It is just one of 600 culinary and medicinal dishes described in the manuscript.
ancient-origins.net
An ancient Middle Eastern hangover cure found in the cookbook Kitab al-tabikh, written almost a thousand years ago.
How reports Ancient Origins, said cookbook is the largest and most comprehensive work of its kind. It includes more than 600 culinary and medicinal recipes, including a famous ancient Middle Eastern hangover remedy called Kkishkiya.
According to the description, it is a stew of meat, chickpeas and vegetables with the addition of a special ingredient known as hask, fermented yogurt, milk and whey.
The latter is considered “the key to relieving what the book describes as excess heat in the head and stomach.” Interestingly, this is not the only such recipe. The manuscript also recommends eating kale before drinking alcohol, having a snack to slow down the effects of alcohol, and drinking water the next day before eating a hangover stew.
In short, almost a thousand years ago the recipe was approximately the same as it is now. In addition, a dish called Qqishkiya is still prepared in the same way, mainly in northern Iraq. It is worth adding that the text of the ancient manuscript was translated by Nawal Nasrallah from the University of Baghdad.
But there is very little information about the author of the manuscript. What is certain is that Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq died in 961 AD. It is believed that he wrote the cookbook on orders, and it contained recipes intended for the caliphs and high dignitaries of that time.
“Some scholars suggest that Al-Warraq may have compiled the manuscript at the request of his patron, the Hamdanid prince Sayf al-Dawla,” reports Ancient Origins. “Many of the recipes are believed to have been acquired from much earlier authors and may be much older than 1000 years”.
The book itself consists of five sections and not only recipes. The author described the kitchen utensils of that time and spices, cited eight types of tastes, talked about the reasons for food spoilage and the remedies that had to be used to deal with the consequences of eating burnt food.
About 600 culinary recipes are compiled into 79 chapters, 20 chapters cover culinary and dining etiquette, and 25 chapters are devoted to the medicinal properties of food. By the way, this is where the recipe is described, which Professor Nasrallah called “the best hangover cure.”
Source: rodina-history.ru
