What is Salep?
Salep is a Turkish food made from the roots of several species of orchids. The term can refer both to the roots themselves and to a beverage made from the roots. Today, due to concerns about Turkey's orchid population, it can be challenging to find true salep outside of Turkey, as the nation has severely curtailed exports. As a result, salep made with artificial flavorings is commonly on offer in places where people have a taste for this distinctive food.
Both Orchis mascula and O. militaris are used to produce salep; the word “salep” is derived from the Arabic sahlap, which means “orchid.” These roots contain a distinctive starch which lends salep a unique texture and mild flavor. Traditionally, the roots are ground and sold in a powdered form, with cooks adding salep powder to hot beverages, desserts, and sometimes ice cream, as well.
Classically, salep is offered as a winter beverage, made by whisking the power in with milk, sugar, and spices. Plain salep has a very mild, slightly creamy flavor, while versions with spices are a bit more exciting. Salep can also be included in ice creams and sherbets for warm weather consumption; classically, frozen desserts made with salep are chewy, rather than creamy, thanks to the thickening properties of the powder.
Because the roots of the orchids used to make salep have a rather suggestive shape, this food has historically been used as an aphrodisiac. Under the principles of sympathetic medicine, doctors would also recommend salep to men who experienced fertility or virility issues, under the belief that consuming objects which looked sort of like testicles would confer the properties of healthy testes.
In the 1600s, a general fascination with the Orient led to a brief fad for salep in England and some other parts of Europe. Typically orange or rose water was used to flavor salep in English cafes, and sometimes other species of orchids would be used as well. Today, salep or versions made with artificial flavorings can be found in communities with a large Turkish population. People who travel to Turkey may want to take advantage of the trip to get genuine salep powder, as it truly is a unique experience.
Written by S.E. Smith
