Blog du Wren

Salep

I've found my drink. For a long time, I've been searching for something to serve as my version of tea or coffee*, to warm me in the morning or for slow sipping after a meal. Here in Turkey, I've found the answer: Salep!

Wikipedia can do a better job explaining what exactly it is better than me, but the version I'm familiar with is essentially hot milk, sugar, cinnamon, and a special dash of whatever it is that makes it what it is (some flower, supposedly). Occasionally, it comes in a powder form that you just stir in water (which they sometimes serve on long distance buses).

But now my time in the cold weather is coming to an end (I hope). I'm progressing farther south and the the sun is progressing farther north*. The weather forecasts say that I have at least another day or two to enjoy a warm beverage without needing to find an air conditioned room to enjoy it in. If all goes to plan, that's plenty of time to have a few more good mugs* of salep.

Sunday April 3 2011

File under: Turkey, food

Toggle Comments (5)

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on Sun 03rd Apr, 2011 12:03 pm PDT Saxtor said:
You travel half-way across the world to eat at a 'Mercan restaurant. 'Merca! F*** yeah!

Also, this salep sounds delicious. Sounds vaguely similar to the Valencian version of horchata.
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on Mon 04th Apr, 2011 02:14 pm PDT Ryan said:
I like that Wikipedia's definition of what you are drinking, ὄρχις, órchis, is defined as either testicle or orchid.....and that it's an aphrodisiac. Look out kadınlar.
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on Tue 05th Apr, 2011 02:04 am PDT Horge said:
There's a little store in the old town of Sarajevo that sells instant salep. On the Kiki, it says that they no longer are allowed to export real salep, so I'm curious, can you notice a big difference in taste between the real stuff and the instant?
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on Tue 05th Apr, 2011 02:09 am PDT Horge said:
Another drink you oughtta try there is "boza", a malted drink. They have it here, but I never tried the Turkish variety, served with chickpeas and cinammon. Apparently there's a famous, old shop that makes it called "Vefa", in the Istanbul district of the same name.
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on Tue 05th Apr, 2011 02:17 am PDT Horge said:
And I should quote Wikipedia to show you the added benefits of Boza: "Boza allegedly has the ability to enlarge women's breasts"... So maybe offer to buy a cute Turksih girl a drink? ;-)
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