Recipe Manuscript

شفى اير

Name: شفى اير
Prep time: PTPT15M
Cook time: PTPT20M
Yield: 10
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 60 ml toasted sesame oil (shirj, or substitute with neutral oil if unavailable); 40 g honey; 225 g semolina (or finely milled flour); 60 g blanched, toasted almonds, finely crushed; 60 g blanched, toasted pistachios, finely crushed; 60 g blanched, toasted hazelnuts, finely crushed (or substitute for other nuts); 60 g superfine (caster) sugar, plus more for dusting; Rosewater syrup (jalab), for dipping (approx. 100 ml); Perfumed superfine sugar (with a drop of rosewater or ground cardamom), for topping

"Shifa Air"

1200

From the treasured pages of Kitāb al-ṭabīkh

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

Medieval (500 - 1400)Middle Eastern Intermediate Dessert Snack

Original Recipe • 1200

Original Manuscript(circa Medieval, 500 - 1400)

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

شفى اير

"يؤخذ مقلى مدور قائم الجانب، ويلقى فيه قدر اوقيتين شيرجاً. فاذا غلى طرح عليه قدر ثلث اواق عسلاً. ثم يؤخذ نصف رطل دقيقاً سميذاً محمّصاً فيخلط به من اللوز المحمص والفستق والبندق مقشّرة مدقوقة ناعماً اوقيتان وسكر مدقوقاً ناعماً اوقيتان، ثم يذر على العسل ويحرك الى ان ينعقد وتفوح رائحته. وان احتاج الى تقوية زيد من الدقيق الموصوف. ثم يرفع حتى يبرد ويقلب على بلاطة ناعمة، ويقطع شوابير تغمس في الجلاب. ثم يذر عليها السكر المدقوق ناعماً المطيب، وترفع."

English Translation

"Take a round frying pan with upright sides and put in about two ounces of sesame oil. When it heats up, add about a third of an ounce of honey. Then take half a pound of semolina flour, toasted, and mix it with two ounces each of peeled and finely pounded roasted almonds, pistachios, and hazelnuts, as well as two ounces of finely pounded sugar. Sprinkle this mixture over the honey and stir until it thickens and its aroma becomes fragrant. If more firmness is needed, add more of the described flour. Then remove it from the fire until it cools, turn it out onto a smooth slab, and cut it into sticks. Dip these sticks into rosewater syrup, then sprinkle with finely pounded, scented sugar, and set them aside."

Note on the Original Text

Recipes of this era were passed down verbally or written for experienced cooks, lacking precise measurements and often using relative terms. Units like 'uqiya' (approximately 30 grams but regionally flexible) and 'ratl' (around 450-500 grams) varied by period and place. Words may differ in spelling due to dialect and manuscript copying traditions. Here, 'شيرج' (shiraj/shirj) is toasted sesame oil—a staple fat of the time—while 'جلاب' (jalab) is a rosewater-based syrup, possibly sweetened grape must. The recipe’s brevity presumes a cook’s skill in interpreting doneness by aroma, color, and texture, as was custom among accomplished medieval chefs.

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 elegant confection comes from an early 13th-century Arabic cookbook attributed to Ibn al-Karim, who lived around 1184-1239/1240 in Mosul (modern-day Iraq). The recipe offers a glimpse into the sophisticated tastes of the medieval Islamic world, where sugar, nuts, and perfumed waters featured prominently in elite cuisine. Published in 1934 from an older manuscript, this recipe reflects the high value placed on sweetmeats and the culinary exchange between Arab, Persian, and Byzantine cultures. The treat would have served as both an indulgence and a symbol of hospitality, creativity, and refinement at court or in wealthy homes.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

The original recipe calls for a 'frying pan with high sides' (likely copper or tinned brass) and a smooth, cool slab (like marble) for shaping and cooling the mixture. A mortar and pestle would be used to crush nuts and sugar finely. Long-handled wooden spoons for stirring, and a sharp knife or spatula to cut the bars, would round out the medieval kitchen toolkit. Modern equivalents can be a nonstick frying pan or heavy-bottomed saucepan, a baking sheet or countertop for cooling, a food processor for grinding, and a silicone spatula for mixing.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Servings

Ingredients

2 fl oz toasted sesame oil (shirj, or substitute with neutral oil if unavailable)
1.4 oz honey
8 oz semolina (or finely milled flour)
2 oz blanched, toasted almonds, finely crushed
2 oz blanched, toasted pistachios, finely crushed
2 oz blanched, toasted hazelnuts, finely crushed (or substitute for other nuts)
2 oz superfine (caster) sugar, plus more for dusting
Rosewater syrup (jalab), for dipping (approx. 3.5 fl oz)
Perfumed superfine sugar (with a drop of rosewater or ground cardamom), for topping

Instructions

Begin by taking a round, high-sided frying pan or shallow pot, and add about 2 fluid ounces (approximately 1/4 cup) of toasted sesame oil (shiraj/shirj).
Gently heat the oil until it begins to simmer.
Next, add approximately 1.4 ounces (about 1/3 of 4 ounces) of honey, letting it blend into the oil as it warms.
While the oil and honey come together, take 8 ounces (1/2 pound) of fine semolina (to approximate early wheat flour) and toast it in a separate pan until golden and fragrant.
In a bowl, combine this toasted semolina with 2 ounces each of blanched, finely crushed almonds, pistachios, and hazelnuts, along with 2 ounces of finely ground sugar.
Mix these together thoroughly to create a uniform, nutty blend.
Sprinkle this mixture evenly into the simmering honey and oil, stirring constantly over gentle heat until the mass thickens and gives off a rich, toasty aroma — this signals it has come together.
If the mixture is too loose, add a little more toasted semolina for body.
Once set, remove from the heat and let cool briefly, then turn out onto a smooth marble or metal slab.
Cut into finger-sized bars while still pliable.
Dip each bar into rosewater syrup (historically 'jalab'), then dust with more perfumed, finely ground sugar before serving.
Let the bars cool and set fully before enjoying.

Estimated Calories

260 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 15 minutes to prepare ingredients and workspace, and about 20 minutes to cook the bars. Each bar contains around 260 calories, and the recipe makes about 10 bars.