[Sca-cooks] Natron

[Jeff Elder]

I am on a slow research for chemical leaveners.
As a start I am looking for the names ancient people would have used for
them.
For example Roman's and Egyptians had soda ash for glass production, and may
have used it in baking.
I ran across another one today, Natron.
Was it ever used in baking?  Or can some one point the way?
I know it is fantastic stuff if I was planning on mummifying some one, but I
am more interested in baking at this point.

Natron  Na2CO3 (now called baking soda but not exactly the same)
(baking soda = NaHCO3)
nahcolite  =  NaHCO3  (just like baking soda)
Trona      =  Na3(CO3)(HCO3)·2(H2O) = From Arabic origins meaning "natron."

What has started this were discussions about soda ash and it leavening
properties, and quick breads with their dependence on baking soda to
flourish.
It dawned on me just the other day "A Soup for the Qan" has the recipes for
Poppy Seed buns and they mention specifically using soda in the baking, and
this version was translated from  1456 edition.  The footnotes of this
particular recipe make mention how this is a
common household recipe in use even today in Muslim homes.

[91.] [49B] Poppy Seed Buns
White flour (five chin), cow's milk (two sheng), liquid butter (one chin),
poppy seeds (one liang. Slightly roasted)
[For] ingredients use salt and a little soda and combine with the flour.
Make the buns.

Ok Another question more learned Muslim cooks and bakers does this recipe
look like anything you have heard of or made before?

I have run across one brief mention of Natron in cooking:
Mustard Sauce
Original:
To prepare mustard: Carefully clean mustard seed, sieve it. Wash in cold
water. Soak 2 hours. Squeeze by hand. Put in a mortar and grind. Put in a
few glowing coals, pour water with natron over it, so bitterness is removed.
Pour off all the liquid. For banquets add pine nuts and almonds, grind
together thoroughly. Then add vinegar. Mix and strain.
[ ----- Columella, de Re Rustica, 12, 57, edited]

Thank you for any time and assistance in this.

Simon Hondy