Salep
A warm creamy Turkish drink made with orchid root and topped with cinnamon.
- 2 cupswhole milk
- 1 tbspsahlab powder
- 2 tbspsugar
- ¼ tspground cinnamon(for garnish)
- 1Whisk sahlab powder with a little cold milk to make paste.
- 2Heat remaining milk in a saucepan.
- 3Add sahlab paste and sugar whisking constantly.
- 4Continue stirring until thickened about 5 minutes.
- 5Serve warm dusted with cinnamon.
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Salep is a traditional Turkish hot drink made from the flour of wild orchid tubers, consumed since Ottoman times. Street vendors once roamed Istanbul selling this warming winter beverage, calling out "Saleeeep!" through snowy streets. The drink also forms the base of Turkish ice cream, giving it a distinctive stretchy texture. Due to conservation concerns about wild orchids, authentic salep has become rare and expensive, though the tradition continues with alternative ingredients.
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