Salep
Salep is a milky, heartwarming drink. It is perfect for a cold winter day.
About this Recipe
Salep is a milky, heartwarming drink. It is a perfect winter warmer with cinnamon notes to give you that cosy feeling. It is made with hot milk and sugar which is then thickened with flour made from wild orchid tubers. It is one of my favourite winter drinks. I have even converted my English husband into a big fan of it too.
SERVES 2
PREP TIME: 1 MIN
COOK TIME: 5–10 MINS
This is a very popular beverage in Turkey during cold winter days. Nowadays, even though it’s mainly served in coffee shops, there used to be street vendors selling salep in the streets.
Here’s some interesting trivia about this drink. During the 17th and 18th century, its consumption spread beyond the Ottoman Empire’s borders to England before the rise of coffee and tea. In England, it was known as saloop and used to be made with water, instead of milk. Apparently, because tea and coffee were much more expensive then, salep used to be served as an alternative in English coffee houses. Surprisingly, nowadays, hardly anyone knows about this beverage in the UK.
With the increasing decline of some salep species, in recent years the price of salep has skyrocketed, although you only need a small amount to make this drink. If you can get hold of it, I’d like you to try this easy recipe for a delicious heartwarming salep drink. If you want to be a bit more adventurous, you can even use salep in your ice cream and milk-based desserts.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 500 ml / 2 cups of cold whole milk or equivalent
- 1 level tsp pure salep powder (see note)
- 2 tsp sugar or more to your taste
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon for garnish
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
First, blend the pure salep and some sugar in a clean bowl.
Step 2
Pour in the cold milk into a small milk pan. Transfer the salep mixture into the milk and mix it really well.
Step 3
On low heat, while stirring continuously with a whisk, bring the milk and salep mixture to boil. The most important thing in the preparation of this drink is that it must be continuously stirred. This will prevent it from going lumpy and sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Step 4
Still on a gentle heat, carry on stirring for about 3–5 minutes, until the mixture comes to a thick, silky consistency.
Step 5
Pour it into mugs, garnish with plenty of cinnamon and serve straight away.
Notes
Salep: It’s a flour made from the tubers of the orchid genus Orchis. In Turkey, pure salep is usually sold in herbalist shops, and it is quite expensive. If you are in the UK, you can easily find instant salep powder in Turkish or Middle Eastern shops or online. Personally, I find them too sweet as they come mixed with sugar. But they can still give you the homely taste you are looking for.
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Tadı, kokusu buraya kadar geldi .Kışın en güzel içeceği.Ellerine,emeğine sağlık.
Salepin yerini hiç bir şey tutamaz.