Recipe Manuscript

زيتون مبخر

Name: زيتون مبخر
Prep time: PTPT25M
Cook time: PTPT0M
Yield: 10
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 1 kg fresh green or black olives; 40-50 g sea salt; 20 g peeled garlic cloves; 10 g dried thyme; 10 ml toasted sesame oil (shīraj); if unavailable, use plain sesame oil, lightly toasted; 30 g walnut kernels; 20 g hulled sesame seeds, toasted; Cotton ball (small, food-safe; may omit if not available); Glass or glazed ceramic jar for storage

"Steamed Olives"

1200

From the treasured pages of Kitāb al-ṭabīkh

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

Medieval (500 - 1400)Middle Eastern Intermediate Snack Other

Original Recipe • 1200

Original Manuscript(circa Medieval, 500 - 1400)

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

زيتون مبخر

"يؤخذ الزيتون عند ادرا كه . فمن احب اخذه اخضر ، ومن احب اخذه اسود . والاخضر للبخور اطيب . فيرض ويجعل عليه ملح بقدر الحاجة . ويقلب في كل يوم الى أن تزول مرارته . ثم يجعل على طبق من عيدان مشبك يوماً وليلة حتى ينشف من المائية التي فيه . ثم يدق الثوم المقشر والسعتر اليابس ناعماً و يؤخذ منه قدر درهم ونواة زيتونة وقطنة مغموسة في الشيرج وقدر درهم لب جوز ويترك على نار هادئة ويجعل ذلك علمها . ثم يجعل الطبق المشبك الذي فيه الزيتون على كانون قد طرح فيه هذا البخور الموصوف و يسد بابه ، و يطبق على الزيتون قدح او طبق لئلا يخرج البخار منه . ويحرك مراراً حتى يدور البخور فيه و يبقى نهاراً كاملاً . ثم يرفع ويطرح عليه شيرج ولب جوز مدقوقاً جريشاً وسمسم مقشوراً محمصاً وثوم وسعتر مدقوقاً ناعماً ويخلط بذلك جميعه جيداً . و يترك في برنية زجاج او فخار مدهونة اياماً مغطى ، ثم يستعمل."

English Translation

"Take the olives when they are ripe. Whoever prefers may take them green, and whoever prefers may take them black. The green ones are better for steaming. Salt them as needed, stirring them every day until their bitterness is gone. Then, place them on a rack of interlaced sticks for a day and night so they dry from their moisture. Next, finely crush peeled garlic and dried thyme, take about one dirham’s worth, a stone from the olives, a piece of cotton soaked in sesame oil, about one dirham’s worth of walnut kernel, and leave all that on a low flame—this is used as incense. Then, place the rack with the olives over a brazier where this described incense has been put, close its opening, and cover the olives with a cup or plate so the steam does not escape. Stir them occasionally so the steam circulates, for an entire day. Then remove them, sprinkle them with sesame oil, coarsely crushed walnut kernels, peeled and toasted sesame seeds, crushed garlic, and finely crushed thyme; mix all of it well. Place them in a glazed glass or pottery jar, covered, for a few days before using."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe employs direct, imperative instructions with minimal measurements—characteristic of medieval Arabic cookbooks, where readers were assumed to have basic culinary literacy and experience. Measurements like 'a dirham' (~3g) or 'the pit of an olive' are approximations; cooks were expected to use intuition and their own tastes. Spelling and ingredient names follow transliteration conventions of the time. Terms such as 'sherij' (sesame oil) and 'barnīya' (storage jar) may appear unfamiliar, so modern substitutions and equivalents are noted for clarity. Overall, the recipe and its style reflect a harmonious blend of technical skill, perfumed cuisine, and a flair for culinary theatrics.

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 for 'Zaytūn Mubakhkhar' (Incensed Olives) comes from the 13th-century scholar Ibn al-Karīm, who lived in Mosul, a cosmopolitan city in medieval Iraq during the height of Islamic culinary experimentation. Recipes like this merged preservation, flavoring, and sensory drama, reflecting the sophisticated tastes of the time. The method of smoking or incense-infusing foods was both a preservation technique and a performative way to impress banqueters with complex aromas. The prevalence of olives, dried herbs, walnuts, and aromatic oils in this period's kitchens ties directly to the agriculture and trade routes of greater Mesopotamia and the Levant. Using glass or glazed pottery jars reflects the high value placed on ingredients and the intention to keep flavors and textures at their best for extended periods.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

The primary tools included a mortar and pestle for pounding garlic and herbs, a mesh or wooden rack for air-drying, and a small brazier or charcoal stove (kanun) for producing aromatic smoke. Ceramic or glass jars were used for storing the finished product. Covering and occasionally shaking the vessel allowed flavor distribution, while the entire incense process was managed by controlling the heat and airflow beneath the olives. These tools, though simple, made excellent use of available materials to marry preservation with refined flavor infusions—something that would be far trickier without modern equipment.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

25 mins

Cook Time

0 mins

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 lb fresh green or black olives
0.6-0.8 oz sea salt
0.7 oz peeled garlic cloves
0.35 oz dried thyme
2 tsp toasted sesame oil (shīraj); if unavailable, use plain sesame oil, lightly toasted
1 oz walnut kernels
0.7 oz hulled sesame seeds, toasted
Cotton ball (small, food-safe; may omit if not available)
Glass or glazed ceramic jar for storage

Instructions

Begin by selecting olives at their peak ripeness – you may choose green olives for their brighter, fresher notes, or black olives for more depth.
Wash the olives thoroughly.
For curing, add enough salt (approximately 4-5% of the olives’ weight, so 0.6-0.8 oz per 2.2 pounds of olives) and stir daily until their bitterness fades, usually over 7-10 days.
Once cured, spread the olives on a rack or mesh tray and leave them to air-dry for 24 hours to reduce their moisture.
Meanwhile, prepare a fragrant mixture by pounding peeled garlic (about 0.35 oz), dried thyme (about 0.1 oz), shelled walnut pieces (approx.
0.1 oz), and a small ball of cotton soaked in toasted sesame oil (about 2 tsp) together until finely blended.
Place this fragrant paste onto hot charcoal or in a small pan to gently release its aroma.
Set your rack of cured, dried olives above this aromatic smoke, ensuring the olives are enveloped by the steam, and cover them loosely to trap the vapors.
Let them infuse for a full day, stirring occasionally so the flavor touches every olive.
Finish by transferring the olives to a bowl, and dress generously with more sesame oil, coarsely ground walnuts (about 1 oz), toasted hulled sesame seeds (around 0.7 oz), finely minced garlic, and dried thyme.
Mix well, then store covered in a glass or glazed ceramic jar for several days.
When ready, use as desired.

Estimated Calories

120 per serving

Cooking Estimates

Curing and drying the olives takes most of the time, but the active work is minimal. Actual prep time is spent washing, pounding ingredients, and mixing. Cooking isn't required, just some aromatic infusion. One kilogram of olives makes about 10 servings, and each serving has around 120 calories.

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.