Orchid Root Drink (Salep)

Seller of Salep in the center of Ankara, December 2007.

The salep is a drink made of orchid root in powder called salep, which lends its name to the drink. It is a hot drink very common in Turkey during the winter, like the boza, another drink made with bulgur.
The popularity of salep extended from Turkey and the Middle East to England and Germany before the coming of coffee and tea, and later remained as an alternative beverage.
The Romans used the orchid roots to produce some beverages considered a powerful aphrodisiac.
In Turkey there are desserts made with salep and also ice creams. The Turkish city of Kahramanmaraş is the biggest salep producer and the delicious Kahramanmaraş ice creams are famous throughout Turkey.
The popularity of salep in Turkey led to the decrease in the amount of wild orchids in the country. As a result, it is illegal to export salep. Also due to this fact, there are many instant mixtures for sale to make salep drink with artificial aroma.



Makes 1 serving

1 cup milk * 1 tsp salep * cinnamon powder * sugar

Mix the salep and the milk very well until boiling. Add sugar to taste and sprinkle with cinnamon. Drink hot.

Note: In Turkey, the genuine salep powder can be found for sale in herbalists (Lokman Hekim). The instant preparations are sold in any supermarket.

Pomegranate Juice (Nar Suyu)

Turkey is right now in the pomegranate season, so the pomegranate juice is a constant presence in the Turkish homes and in the natural juices selling points.
The easiest and convenient way to make pomegranate juice at home is with a citrus-squeezer (in the picture), very common in Turkey.

The pomegranate has properties very beneficial to health, which are also present in its shell. You can use the pomegranate shells to make tea.

Yogurt Drink (Ayran)

For 2-3 servings

1 cup of natural Turkish yogurt * 2 cups of water * 1 teaspoon of salt

Mix the yogurt with the water and add the salt. Mix very well until the yogurt dissolves in the water. You can put it in a jar or bottle and shake well, mix in a blender or use a hand blender. Pour into glasses and serve cold.