Salep or sahlab is a hot creamy drink that warms you up in winter. It is made with milk, sugar and salep powder and topped with cinnamon. It is everyone's all time favorite hot milk drink on a cold winter day in Turkey.
Just like Turkish coffee, salep is a very popular hot drink in Turkey. It is one of the most fascinating drinks around the world. So rich, creamy and milky that both kids and adults LOVE it like crazy! It is served with cinnamon powder on the top. And everyone loves it at first sip.
When we are out on cold days of winter, we love to have either Turkish Boza Drink (a pudding-like Turkish drink made from fermented grains) or salep. Although boza is not served hot, it's a winter treat too. On the other hand, salep warms both your body and your heart. You just fall in love with its aromatic and floral scent.
The unique flavor and creamy texture of salep drink come from salep powder. It is a rare and precious ingredient, so let's learn more about it before making this hot milk drink recipe.
What Is Salep Powder?
You might be surprised but salep powder is produced from the bulbs of some species of orchid family. You know that beautiful and fragile flower, right? Have you ever thought that it has other uses in addition to its majestic beauty?
Wild orchids which are suitable for salep production are grown in the area of Kahramanmaraş, in the south east of Turkey. These orchids have a unique structure. Their root consists of two bulbs side by side. They are shaped like an egg. The bigger bulb feeds the flower while the smaller one works as the spare bulb which will take the responsibility of feeding the flower the following year.
Although salep can be produced from both bulbs, producers pick just the spare ones not to cause the flower to become extinct. When the spare one is picked, the bigger bulb starts to generate a new small bulb. The flower survives this way. Fascinating, isn't it?
After the orchid tubers (bulbs) are picked, they are washed and boiled in water or milk. Then they are dried in the open air. The bulbs are pounded when they are totally dried. As a result, you have the most amazing ingredient in the world: Salep powder or salep flour.
This powder coming from orchid bulbs naturally includes starch and mucilage, which has a sticky characteristic. These together help the milk get thicker while making this Turkish hot milk drink, which is also known as the same name, salep.
Pure salep powder is not only used in this hot milk cinnamon drink, but it is also used in unique Turkish strechy ice cream dondurma.
How & Where To Buy
You can find it at any spice shop in Turkey. Come visit Turkey to find genuine sahlep powder! Outside Turkey, you can search for it at Middle Eastern markets. Also, it might be found in online shops selling products from Greece and Egypt.
But it might be a real challenge to find authentic salep powder due to its high price. It is a bit expensive and that's how you can understand that it’s genuine. If a kilo of it is cheaper than 2000 Turkish Lira/ $115 (in the year 2022), it’s not genuine.
But don’t worry, you don’t need to buy a kilo. Just 10-20 grams will be enough for you because you’ll use just 1 tablespoon of salep to make this cinnamon and hot milk drink recipe.
What Is Salep Drink?
It is a comforting drink made with milk, sugar and ground orchid tubers known as salep powder. It is always served with cinnamon powder on the top. This creamy and rich drink is called salep or sahlep in Turkey and known as sahlab in the Eastern Mediterranean. It is also popular in Greece, Syria, Israel, Lebanon and Bulgaria.
Salep has been a part of Turkish culture since the 8th century, when most of Turks started to accept Islam as their religion. As alcohol is banned in this religion, they were in search of alternative drinks to keep them warm during winter. This is how salep became popular in Turkish culture.
Authentic salep recipe has to be made with pure salep powder. It is the ingredient that gives this hot milk drink the creamy texture. In Turkey, there are street vendors selling sahlep during winter months and the same vendors sell Turkish ice cream in summer.
It is easy to make at home, but takes time. So Turks often prefer enjoying sahlep drink at cafes or buying it from vendors on the street.
You don't feel like making it from scratch? There is also an instant salep drink version that is sold in sachets at markets in Turkey. The most famous brands are Nestle, Dr Oetker and Kahve Dunyasi. Instant salep is easier to find at markets in Turkey. You just pour a sachet in a mug and pour hot water or milk over it. So it is of course easier to make.
On the other hand, although the taste is not too bad, you should know that this instant version is not the real thing. The amount of salep powder in the sachets is too little and it has a mixture of other types of thickeners like cornstarch (or cornflour), glutinous rice flour and milk powder.
How To Make
- Combine milk, sugar and salep powder in a large saucepan or thick-bottomed pot. Whisk them well.
- Heat it over medium low heat, stirring constantly. Bring it to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and let it simmer. Stir frequently while it is simmering until it thickens and reaches to a pudding-like consistency. Don't rush. This might take 15- 20 minutes or longer, but it is worth it.
- Remove from the heat and serve it in cups or mugs with some ground cinnamon on it.
- Optionally, you can garnish it with pistachios or other nuts as well.
- You can serve it with buttery melting moments cookies on the side.
Expert Tips
- Use full-fat milk for the best result.
- Cook your salep drink in a thick-bottomed pan. Otherwise, it might burn at the bottom.
- Don't try to speed up the process. Making salep requires some time (and patience). If you try to cook it over medium or high heat, there will be lumps and you won't get that nice creamy consistency.
- The thickness of salep is a matter of preference. Traditionally, it is supposed to be as thick as hot chocolate. You know, thick but drinkable. So after 15 minutes, check the consistency. If you are happy with it, remove it from the heat. If you want it thicker, keep cooking.
- Be careful when drinking it, it shouldn't be piping hot.
- For a plant-based alternative, you can use almond milk or coconut milk.
- You can add extra flavors like orange blossom water or vanilla right before removing it from the heat.
Health Benefits
Besides its yummy taste and magical scent, this unique drink also has several benefits to health. The most well known benefit of it is that it has a curative effect on cough, bronchitis and cold. That’s why it’s mostly consumed in winter. In addition, it is said that it cures constipation and strengthens heart and mental powers.
Frequently Asked Questions
As it is a hot drink, be careful and make sure it is not piping hot. It is always served with cinnamon powder on it. You can drink it in the same way you drink hot chocolate. You can stir it with a dessert spoon between a few sips and even have a spoonful of it.
It is not an illegal product. The population of wild orchids has declined in Turkey, so it is banned to export the powder of orchid tubers out of the country.
As it is an instant salep, no need to cook it. Pour a sachet of Nestle salep in a mug. Pour hot milk over it and give it a good stir until the powder dissolves. Sprinkle a little cinnamon on it and enjoy.
Other Hot Turkish Drinks
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📖 Recipe
Salep Drink (Cinnamon and Warm Milk)
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tablespoon salep powder
- 1½ tablespoons sugar
- 1 liter milk
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
- Combine milk, sugar and salep powder in a large saucepan or thick-bottomed pot. Whisk them well.
- Heat it over medium low heat, stirring constantly.
- Reduce the heat when the milk starts to boil. Keep stirring while it is simmering until it thickens. Don't rush. This might take 15- 20 minutes or longer, but it is worth it.
- Remove from the heat and serve it in cups or mugs with some ground cinnamon on it.
- Optionally, you can garnish it with pistachios or other nuts as well.
- Taste and adjust its sweetness. You can add extra sugar if you like it sweeter.
- You can put the leftovers in a bottle or jar and keep it in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. When you crave for salep again, you can re-heat some.
NOTES
- Use full-fat milk for the best result.
- Cook your salep drink in a thick-bottomed pan. Otherwise, it might burn at the bottom.
- Don't try to speed up the process. Making salep requires some time (and patience). If you try to cook it over medium or high heat, there will be lumps and you won't get that nice creamy consistency.
- The thickness of salep is a matter of preference. Traditionally, it is supposed to be as thick as hot chocolate. You know, thick but drinkable. So after 15 minutes, check the consistency. If you are happy with it, remove it from the heat. If you want it thicker, keep cooking.
- Be careful when drinking it, it shouldn't be piping hot.
- For a plant-based alternative, you can use almond milk or coconut milk.
- You can add extra flavors like orange blossom water or vanilla right before removing it from the heat.
NUTRITION
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Frederick Campbell says
I read that since 1995 it has been illegal to export saleph orchid tubers and salep powder. However salep powder seems to be readily available both from companies such as Dr Oetker as well as on for example e-bay, Amazon etc. Because it is illegal to export Turkish salep does that mean that all the so-called salep powder which is available or sold outside Turkey does NOT contain ANY (orchid) Salep powder but only extra starch instead? If this is true then surely selling, marketing or supplying Turkish Salep (containing or made of orchid salep) outside Turkey by for example by Dr Oetker is illegal?
scott L says
Nestle salep powder is 1% salep, with the rest being other thickening and flavor ingredients.
Forbsie77 says
I brought some Salep powder back from Istanbul and just tried using it in this recipe! Delicious! I think next time I will use full fat milk because I only had semi-skimmed milk. It still tasted great but maybe didn’t thicken up as much as it should have.
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Happy to heat that you tried this salep recipe. Right, full-fat milk should work better. If it is still not thick enough, you can double the amount of the salep powder you add.
Farzana says
Does salep powder have expiry date?i mean how long it lasts?
Zerrin & Yusuf says
It lasts for about a year or so after it is ground.
Evelyn Felice says
I bought some Salep online looking for a genuine one. What I chose was called Saf Salep. I followed your instructions but had a disaster! When I added warm milk to the powder and sugar it clumped up and adding it to the hot milk was even worse. The mixture did not slip easily into the milk but fell into clumps and I had to use an electric mixer to try and amalgamate it in the hot milk. I did not notice a pleasant smell while it was cooking and the taste was bland. I had such high hopes for this drink. I am addicted to turkish movies and it is often drunk by the characters. What a disappointment! I am pretty adept in the kitchen so this failure is really bugging me.
Where did I go wrong??
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Hi Evelyn,
We are sorry to hear this. Normally, real salep powder is pure without any other additives. Our guess is that salep brand contains a high amount of starch in it. Otherwise, salep powder can be mixed with milk without clumps. You should of course do it gradually and keep mixing until it thickens.
And real salep has a really nice smell, you feel it when you are mixing it with milk in the pot. Not sure why yours doesn't smell.
If you still have some, maybe you can give it a second chance with the following method: Whisk that salep powder and sugar with cold milk first and then cook it over medium low heat, whisking constantly. Also, you can increase the amount of sugar (maybe 3 tablespoons). You can even taste it when cold and adjust the sweetness to your liking.
Hope this helps.
Tony says
Tried it with 2% milk. Never thickened.
Emma says
It was my obsession when I was living in Turkey. Thank you for the recipe!
Larisa Almeida says
could you recommend any good quality Salep powder i could buy online?
Thank you
Tereze says
This used to be my favourite drink as a child back in Egypt. I tried many commercial Saleh mixes here in Australia but they were all just cornstarch which tastes nothing like the real thing. I'm so glad I came across your article now I know what to look for. I'll check a couple of Turkish grocers I know of near where I live in Sydney and hope to find the real powder.
Zerrin says
I didn't know salep is popular in Egypt. Hope you can find the real salep in those Turkish groceries.
Ermin Isakovic says
I grew up in Bosnia drinking this during the long cold winter days. On my recent visit there (Nov. '12) I made the effort to go to this old cake shop in the centre of town and had at least one cup a day. Memories of the happy childhood flooded back. One word of caution, tho: if you are Type 1 Diabetic go easy with this and adjust your insulin doze accordingly.
BTW, Thank you Zerrin!
Zerrin says
Thanks Ermin for sharing your feelings here! My husband is type 1 diabetic and he drinks it with little sugar if his blood sugar level is low enough. Thanks for reminding to adjust insulin doze, I will tell him that.
weewa says
Um. I just bought some sahlep from Iran but it has no flavor. Does it only release the scent when boiled? :/
Zerrin says
Hi Weewa, salep releases its scent as it is boiled. It does smell as a powder, but not that much.
Farnaz says
Thank you so much for this page! I drank salep when I traveled to Prince's Island last month. It was amazing and I fell in love with it. I live in the UAE, I'm not sure if I can find salep powder here. I hope I will be able to find it and prepare this amazingly tasting drink. The best drink I have ever had.
Zerrin says
Farnaz, thanks for commenting! Hope you can find it where you live. There are some intant salep powder brands like Dr Oetker in online markets. Maybe you can try them if you can't find the genuine one. A perfect drink for sure!
Anne says
My daughter has a Turkish friend who brought packets of Salep as a gift at Christmas. It is delicious and soothing and I am now searching for it here in the UK. With the packets you only have to add hot milk which is so easy and just like making a hot chocolate drink. Yummy!
Zerrin says
Perfect Christmas gift! Would be lovely to drink salep when it's snowing outside!
somone from albania says
It's very delicious... you can find in every bar in Albania during the winter. Someone might do it at home, but since drinking a quick coffee or salep at the bar is customary people dont bother... I recommend it! 🙂
Zerrin says
Didn't know it's that famous in Albania. Great to find salep at bars! We have that chance here in Turkey too, but not all of them serve genuine salep.
Jackie says
Does anyone know of an online herb store that carries genuine salep? I first became addicted to salep while in Istanbul awhile ago - I purchased some powder while I was there, but have since ran out - and I would LOVE to make some again! Please let me know - Thanks for your recipe 🙂
Zerrin says
Salep is definitely so addictive, isn't it? I don't know any online markets selling true salep, but you can find commercial version of it at Amazon. I know Dr Oetker's instant powder salep drink is not bad.
Happy new year to you!