Hamudh Shalgham

The Iraqi name for this soup, hamudh shalgham, literally translates as ‘sour turnip,’ and to make it sour we add fresh lemon juice or tamarind. Apparently, hamudh shalgham is after all what it means – soured turnip. Originally, fermented soured turnips and their liquid were added to stews and soups for sourness and flavor. I discovered this while reading an entry on turnips in the tenth-century Al-Filaha al-Nabatiyya (Farming Practices of the Nabateans/indigenous Iraqis) by Ibn Wahshiyya, a contemporary Chaldean himself, who in his introduction to the book claimed that it was an Arabic translation of ancient Babylonian sources dealing with their advanced knowledge of farming, originally written in Syriac, Suryaniyya qadeema. His comments on saljam, turnip, include a recipe for ma’ al-saljam alhamidh ‘sour turnip juice’. The recipe uses peeled and diced turnip, turnip juice, and baked sour bread. While the bread is still hot, it is whipped into the turnip mix until it dissolves completely. Herbs like rue, mint, and parsley are added. The mixture is left until it matures and sours. Ibn Wahshiyya says it is eaten with bread and its juice is made into a digestive drink. He also says the sour turnip juice is used in meat dishes to make the sauce deliciously sour (vol.1).