As the cold winter nights draw in and we take refuge in our warm cosy homes, a comforting hot beverage is a welcome treat. Hot chocolate, Horlicks or Ovaltine tends to hit the spot, but here in Türkiye, it’s a hot milk and cinnamon drink called salep that’s most common.

About Salep

You know winter has arrived when the coffee shops in Türkiye start selling salep. Salep, sometimes referred to as sahleb in Arabic countries or salepi in Greece is no ordinary beverage. The drink traditionally contains a flour derived from the tubers of wild orchids (Orchis Mascula), a flower commonly found on southern Türkiye’s mountains.

Salep is one of the oldest drinks in Türkiye and one that dates back to the 8th Century. It is traditionally farmed by mountain shepherds who pick the flowers whilst tending their goats. It was during the Ottoman Empire that the popularity of salep spread. Many of the sultans believed wild orchids were rare and beautiful. Some said that salep made them more attractive, and it became known not only for its healing and medicinal properties but also as an aphrodisiac. Salep was warm and comforting, the ideal drink before bed during the cold winter months.

In Britain, salep isn’t a common drink, but according to some sources, a form of salep drink made with water was drunk by many in Germany and England during the 17^th and 18^th centuries. Back then, it was said to boost immunity, fend off colds and sort out stomach disorders. In Türkiye, salep is still used today by many who feel the onset of a chill. Turkish mothers and grandmothers brew up a vat of salep when their families return from work or when they arrive in from school. Salep is a warming beverage, especially when it’s served traditionally, with a liberal sprinkle of cinnamon on top and a spiced homemade cookie to the side.

Are Türkiye’s wild orchids at risk due to salep?

It is not just the milky drink that uses salep as a key ingredient, the famous Turkish ice-cream maras also contains salep flour made from wild orchids. Over the years, more reports suggest the use of salep in the beverage and famous sticky ice-cream could be putting Türkiye’s wild orchids at risk.

Botanist Ozdemir Ozhatay from Istanbul University told the BBC that “the orchids in Türkiye are under a serious threat” pointing out that, “more than 1,000 are needed for just one kilogram of dried salep”. In efforts to limit extinction, Türkiye banned the export of dried Turkish salep and put steps in place to protect the countries’ wild orchids. Although farming is still permitted, the government monitors the situation closely, and real Turkish salep can now only be found in Türkiye, but it is expensive. Many now buy the cheaper artificial substitutes and sachets from supermarkets to satisfy their salep fix. Only in better coffee shops or traditional ice-cream sellers are you likely to find the real thing. The ‘fake’ versions don’t taste the same or give you the same medicinal benefits, but they are widely available, and you can enjoy drinking it guilt-free, knowing no orchids were harmed in the making of your brew.

If you would like to try Turkish salep for yourself, it’s easy to make, and many recipes can be found online – ask Senem to arrange for salep to be delivered with your provisions.

If you would like to know more about Turkish life and culture, please sign-up to our BLOG below.