Alkanet
Encyclopedia
Alkanet or dyers' bugloss
(Alkanna tinctoria) is a plant in the borage family Boraginaceae
with a bright blue flower, used to provide a red dye
.
A. tinctoria is also known as orchanet, Spanish bugloss or Languedoc bugloss. Its name comes from the Spanish word alcana, from Arabic al-hena, after henna
, (Lawsonia inermis).
Alkanet is grown in the south of France
and on the shores of the Levant
. It has a dark red root of blackish appearance externally but blue-red inside, with a whitish core. The root produces a fine red colouring material which has been used as a cloth dye and to give colour to tincture
s, vegetable oils, wine
s, varnish
es, etc. It was often used to improve the appearance of poor grades of port
and similar wines, and to give the appearance of age to port wine corks. It is commonly used today as a food colouring
E103 (alkannin
).
It was listed in the 1918 Dispensatory of the United States of America as a colouring agent.
Alkanet is traditionally used in Indian food under the name "Ratan Jot", and lends its red colour to some versions of the dish Rogan Josh
. Ratan Jot is one possible derivation of the famous curry's name.
Bugloss
Bugloss is a name used for several plants in the borage family :*Barrelier's bugloss *Bugloss or small bugloss *Bugloss fiddleneck...
(Alkanna tinctoria) is a plant in the borage family Boraginaceae
Boraginaceae
Boraginaceae, the Borage or Forget-me-not family, include a variety of shrubs, trees, and herbs, totaling about 2,000 species in 146 genera found worldwide.A number of familiar plants belong to this family....
with a bright blue flower, used to provide a red dye
Dye
A dye is a colored substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied. The dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution, and requires a mordant to improve the fastness of the dye on the fiber....
.
A. tinctoria is also known as orchanet, Spanish bugloss or Languedoc bugloss. Its name comes from the Spanish word alcana, from Arabic al-hena, after henna
Henna
Henna is a flowering plant used since antiquity to dye skin, hair, fingernails, leather and wool. The name is also used for dye preparations derived from the plant, and for the art of temporary tattooing based on those dyes...
, (Lawsonia inermis).
Alkanet is grown in the south of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and on the shores of the Levant
Levant
The Levant or ) is the geographic region and culture zone of the "eastern Mediterranean littoral between Anatolia and Egypt" . The Levant includes most of modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and sometimes parts of Turkey and Iraq, and corresponds roughly to the...
. It has a dark red root of blackish appearance externally but blue-red inside, with a whitish core. The root produces a fine red colouring material which has been used as a cloth dye and to give colour to tincture
Tincture
A tincture is an alcoholic extract or solution of a non-volatile substance . To qualify as a tincture, the alcoholic extract is to have an ethanol percentage of at least 40-60%...
s, vegetable oils, wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
s, varnish
Varnish
Varnish is a transparent, hard, protective finish or film primarily used in wood finishing but also for other materials. Varnish is traditionally a combination of a drying oil, a resin, and a thinner or solvent. Varnish finishes are usually glossy but may be designed to produce satin or semi-gloss...
es, etc. It was often used to improve the appearance of poor grades of port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
and similar wines, and to give the appearance of age to port wine corks. It is commonly used today as a food colouring
Food additive
Food additives are substances added to food to preserve flavor or enhance its taste and appearance.Some additives have been used for centuries; for example, preserving food by pickling , salting, as with bacon, preserving sweets or using sulfur dioxide as in some wines...
E103 (alkannin
Alkannin
Alkannin is a natural dye that is obtained from the extracts of Alkanna tinctoria. The dye is used as a food coloring and in cosmetics. As a food additive it has the E number E103....
).
It was listed in the 1918 Dispensatory of the United States of America as a colouring agent.
Alkanet is traditionally used in Indian food under the name "Ratan Jot", and lends its red colour to some versions of the dish Rogan Josh
Rogan Josh
Rogan josh is an aromatic lamb dish hailing from Kashmir. Rogan means "oil" in Persian, while josh means "heat, hot, boiling, or passionate". Rogan josh thus means cooked in oil at intense heat. Another interpretation of the name rogan josh is derived from the word rogan meaning color and josh...
. Ratan Jot is one possible derivation of the famous curry's name.