Salep

Orchis mascula

root · drink

Orchid tuber flour, which thickens a hot drink with milk and cinnamon, and stretchy Turkish ice cream.

Origin

Turkey and the Near East

Season (United States)

all year round

Preparation

A teaspoon of the powder is stirred into cold milk, which is heated, stirring, until it thickens. Wild orchids are protected: real salep is rare, and much commercial salep is made of flavored starch.

Molecules

In small amounts, not counted Glucomannan · Insoluble fibers

Did you know?

It is what makes the ice cream of Kahramanmaraş so elastic that it is cut with a knife.