Chemical recipe

"For one thing, the lack of common words for chemical concepts and processes, as well as the need for secrecy, led alchemists to borrow the terms and symbols of biblical and pagan mythology, astrology, kabbalah, and other mystic and esoteric fields; so that the even the plainest chemical recipe ended up readling like an abstruse magic incantation."

- Libatius Borage, Advanced Potion-Making

A chemical recipe (also known as a potion formula ) is a symbolic representation of the brewing of a potion and/or the chemical reactions that take place in it.

Chemical recipes may be presented in two different ways: by means of a table combining Alchemistic symbols and basic instructions; and through an equation, with ingredients given on the left-hand side and the product entities on the right-hand side. The latter is the most simple way (the former being compared to an "abstruse magic incantation" by some authors) and thus is used in the teaching of beginner Potions students.

An alternative to this symbolic representation is writing down the whole proceedure step-by-step.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)