Recipe Manuscript

حماضية

Name: حماضية
Prep time: PTPT20M
Cook time: PTPT2H
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 1 kg fatty lamb, cut in medium pieces; 1.5 liters water (enough to cover); 1.5 tsp salt; 1 tbsp dried coriander seed, ground; 1 tbsp ground ginger; 1 tbsp ground black pepper; 1 tbsp ground clove; 3–4 sticks cinnamon (or 2 tsp ground cinnamon); 300 g lean beef, minced; 2 large citrons (or 2 large lemons); 60 ml verjuice (or 45 ml lemon juice + 15 ml white vinegar); 100 g blanched sweet almonds; 2–3 tbsp sugar or grape molasses (or date syrup, if preferred); 2 tsp rose water

"Hamidiyyah"

1200

From the treasured pages of Kitāb al-ṭabīkh

Written by Ibn al-Karīm, Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan

Medieval (500 - 1400)Middle Eastern Intermediate Dinner Lunch

Original Recipe • 1200

Original Manuscript(circa Medieval, 500 - 1400)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

حماضية

"صنعتها ان يقطع اللحم السمين وسطاً ويترك في القدر مع غمره ماء ويسير ملح. ثم يغلى غلية وتطرح عليه الأبازير وهي الكسفرة اليابسة والزنجبيل والفلفل والقرنفل مدقوقةً ناعماً مشدودة في خرقة كتان صفيقة، وتطرح فيها قطع دارصيني. ثم يدق اللحم الأحمر بالأبازير ويكبب، ثم يجعل في القدر بعد ان تغلي غلية. فاذا نضجت تنحى خرقة الأبازير. ويؤخذ حامض الأترج(١) الكبار المنقى من حبه فيعصر باليد عصراً جيداً، ثم يمزج معه مثل ربعه ماء حصرم، ويجعل على اللحم في القدر حتى يغلي ساعة. ثم يؤخذ من اللوز الحلو المقشر المربى بالماء بعد دقه ناعماً فيضاف اليه. ثم يحلى بسكر ومن أراد بجلاب. وتترك القدر على النار حتى تهدأ. ويرش على رأسها ماء ورد وتمسح جوانبها بخرقة نظيفة ثم ترفع."

English Translation

"To make it, fatty meat is cut into medium pieces and placed in the pot, covered with water, and salted. Then it is boiled once, and spices are added: dried coriander, ginger, pepper, and cloves, all finely ground and tied in a thick linen cloth. Pieces of cinnamon are also added. Then lean meat is pounded with the spices and shaped into balls, then placed in the pot after it has boiled once. When done, the spice cloth is removed. Large citron (1), cleaned of seeds, is squeezed well by hand, and about a quarter as much verjuice is mixed with its juice; this is added to the pot with the meat and allowed to boil for an hour. Then peeled sweet almonds, softened by boiling in water and finely ground, are added. Sweeten with sugar or, if desired, rose syrup. Leave the pot on the fire until it settles. Sprinkle with rosewater and wipe the sides with a clean cloth, then take it off the heat."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe was written in the concise, directive style common to medieval Arabic cookbooks, omitting exact quantities and expecting the reader to infer proportions based on experience and local custom. Ingredient spelling often reflects period pronunciations: 'حامض الأترج' for citron (substitutable with lemon); 'دارصيني' for cinnamon; 'جلاب' for a grape or date syrup. Such recipes presupposed foundational culinary training and an intuitive feel for seasoning and timing.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Kitāb al-ṭabīkh - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Kitāb al-ṭabīkh (1200)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Ibn al-Karīm, Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan

Era

1200

Publisher

Maṭbaʻat Umm al-Rabīʻayn

Background

Step back into the sumptuous kitchens of the medieval Islamic world with this early collection of culinary wisdom. Savor recipes, tips, and gastronomic secrets that once delighted the palates of princes and poets alike.

Kindly made available by

NYU/ American University of Beirut

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe comes from a 13th-century manuscript authored by Ibn al-Karīm in the city of Mosul, an important culinary and intellectual hub of the medieval Islamic world. During this period, cookery manuscripts began to record sophisticated recipes for courtly and affluent households, emphasizing refined flavors, balance, and the harmonious blending of sweet, sour, and aromatic notes. The dish, 'Hamadiyya' (حماضية), is a distinctively tangy stew, showcasing the regional love for tart flavors often achieved with citron or verjuice, sweetened nut pastes, and the complex use of warming spices—a hallmark of the classic Arab-Persian kitchen that thrived in the lands of present-day Iraq.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

The original preparation would have required a large bronze or copper cauldron or pot for simmering the stew, a stone or wooden pestle and mortar for grinding spices and herbs, and fine linen cloth for tying aromatic spice bundles. Meat would be chopped with heavy knives or cleavers and minced manually. Almonds would have been blanched, peeled, and pounded by hand. Clean cloths were used for wiping the edges of serving vessels—an indicator of attention to visual as well as gustatory presentation.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

2 hrs

Servings

We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!

Ingredients

2.2 lbs fatty lamb, cut in medium pieces
6 1/3 cups water (enough to cover)
1.5 tsp salt
1 tbsp dried coriander seed, ground
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tbsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp ground clove
3–4 sticks cinnamon (or 2 tsp ground cinnamon)
10.5 oz lean beef, minced
2 large citrons (or 2 large lemons)
1/4 cup verjuice (or 3 tbsp lemon juice + 1 tbsp white vinegar)
3.5 oz blanched sweet almonds
2–3 tbsp sugar or grape molasses (or date syrup, if preferred)
2 tsp rose water

Instructions

To make this dish, start by cutting about 2.2 lbs of fatty lamb into medium-sized pieces.
Place the meat in a large pot and cover with enough water to submerge it (about 6 1/3 cups).
Add a generous pinch of salt (about 1.5 tsp).
Bring to a gentle boil, skimming any foam.
Meanwhile, take 1 tbsp each of dried coriander seed, ginger powder, black pepper, and clove; grind them to a fine powder.
Place these spices in a piece of clean, thin linen and tie securely.
Add the spice bundle, along with about 3–4 sticks of cinnamon, to the boiling pot.
While the lamb is cooking, finely mince about 10.5 oz lean beef and mix in a little of the spice blend (about 1–2 tsp); form into meatballs and set aside.
After the initial boil, drop the meatballs into the pot.
When all the meat is nearly tender, remove the spice bundle.
Now, take two large citrons (or substitute with 2 large lemons if unavailable), remove seeds and squeeze the juice by hand.
Mix with 1/4 cup unripe grape juice (verjuice) or a combination of lemon and a little white wine vinegar.
Add this to the pot and let it simmer for around 15 minutes.
Grind 3.5 oz blanched sweet almonds to a paste with a little water.
Stir this into the stew.
Sweeten to taste with 2–3 tbsp sugar or grape molasses (or use date syrup as a substitute).
Let everything simmer together gently.
Before serving, sprinkle with 2 tsp rose water and wipe the rim of the pot with a clean cloth.
Serve warm.

Estimated Calories

550 per serving

Cooking Estimates

This recipe takes about 20 minutes to prepare the ingredients and around 2 hours to cook until the meat is tender and flavors come together. Each serving has around 550 calories, and the recipe serves about 6 people.

As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.

We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.