A recipe from 14th-century Egypt involving cut onions being pickled in salty water, vinegar, lemon juice, parsley, mint, coriander, caraway, and the aṭrāf al-ṭīb (أطراف الطيب) spice mixture. And the best thing about it is that one only has to wait one day before eating it (though it can be kept for much longer, of course)! The medieval Arab culinary tradition reveals the importance of pickled vegetables in the diet, with onions being a particular favourite.
This is a most apt recipe for this time of the year, as we are inexorably sliding into autumn, which, so the Tunisian-born scholar Ahmad Ibn Yusuf al-Tifashi (أحمد بن يوسف التيفاشي, d. 1253) reminds us, is “marked by a cold, dry nature. It contrasts with the temperament of the blood, making it a time when illnesses are common due to fluctuating conditions. It increases the risk of diseases like quartan fevers and spleen disorders due to the build-up of black bile. Therefore, during autumn, it is recommended to avoid purging or vomiting, and limit food intake. Fruits should be avoided, and one should refrain from cold baths.” Good advice, as ever!
