Source: Kitāb al-Jāmiʿ li-Mufradāt al-Adwiya wa-l-Aghdhiya (كتاب الجامع المفردات الأدوية والأغذية)
Analysis
According to Ibn Al-Baytar, a 13th century pharmacologist and plant enthusiast from Andalusia, molokhia is slimy and “Egyptian.” The source is an encyclopedic categorization of plants based on works from other Arabic scholars and also authors from Ancient Greece. Al-Baytar describes the slimy texture objectively. He says it is slimier than marshmallow, hibiscus, and psyllium seeds. Al-Baytar goes on to describe the plant’s shapes, leaves, and branches. At the end of the molokhia entry, Al-Baytar leaves us a golden nugget… his take on the molokhia‘s! He concludes molokhia is tastier than cheeseweed/hibiscus. He also adds that molokhia is good for the spleen and helps moisten your chest. And suggests that if you soak molokhia seeds in 2 dirhams of water, it can help promote diarrhea.
Original text:
الملوخية: كتاب الرحلة: بقلة مشهورة بالديار المصرية كثيرة اللزوجة تربى في اللزوجة أكبر من الخطمي والخبازي والبزرقطونا و غيرها تشاكل البقلة اليمانية في هيئتها وأغصانها وورقها على هيئة الباذروج إلا أن أطرافها إلى الإستدارة وخضرتها مائلة إلى الذهبية مشرفة الحافات، وزهرتها صفراء فيها مشابهة من زهر القثاء إلا أنها أصغر تخلف إذا أسقطت سنفة دودية الشكل إلى الخضرة ما هي في داخلها بزر اسود كشكل بزر الشونيز البري وطعم البقلة كلها مسبخ الطعم. غيره: وهي ألذ طعماً من الخبازي وتنفع الطحال وتلين الطبع وترطب الصدر وبزرها إذا سقي منه درهمان أسهل إسهالاً ذريعاً وهو شديد المرارة.
Translation by Antonio Tahhan:
Molokhia: [from the book] Kitab al-Rihla [by Abu al-Abbas al-Nabati, Ibn al-Rumiya or al-Ashshab]: is a well-known plant in the Egyptian lands that is very viscous. It is grown in swampy(?) lands more than marshmallow, hibiscus, psyllium seeds and others. It resembles the Yemeni watercress in its shape, and its branches and leaves are in the form of seedlings, except that its edges are round and its green tends to golden with honorable edges, and its yellow flower is similar to a gourd blossom. However, it is smaller and will be left behind if a worm-shaped pod is dropped into the greenery, with black seeds inside it, like the shape of wild schwannaise seeds, and the taste of the watercress is all spoiled. Other notes: It is more delicious than hibiscus, it benefits the spleen, softens the temper, moisturizes the chest, and its seed, if soaked in two dirhams of water, it promotes diarrhea and it is very bitter.
Acknowledgement
Thank you to Dr. Anny Gaul for pointing me to this text in her collection of medieval cooking manuscripts.