Believe it or not, this recipe is something we’ve been wanting to do for over a year now! However, our hunt for authentic sahlab (or salep) powder came to a quick halt when we learned that
not only did very few countries actually produce it (most notably Turkey and Iran), but also that it’s export was strictly controlled and regulated to the point where finding it in North America would have been basically impossible.
Let’s take a step back. What is Sahlab, or salep? Where does it come from? And most importantly how did we get our hands on it!?
Sahlab is a powder made out of the tubers/roots of the orchid plant Genus Orchids, making it very high in starches! It was traditionally used a lot in the ancient Ottoman Empire and brought to all the areas the Ottoman Empire occupied at the time, which includes the cluster of countries currently known as the Levant (which includes Lebanon of course!). It even made its way out to European countries in the 17th century before the take over of coffee and tea! Unfortunately for us, the popularity of Sahlab over the years eventually led to a decline in the availability of wild orchids in Turkey, which ultimately led to the illegalization of exporting true Salep powder from there. Ironically enough Iran mainly exports it’s product to Turkey!
Due to this, all packaged Sahlab are currently made with artificial flavorings. When we set out to make a Sahlab recipe, little did we know the rich history and rarity of the authentic ingredient. What we did know is we had it growing up, and it was just delicious! This hurdle didn’t stop us from bringing you a delicious sahlab recipe, using real sahlab powder straight from the Spice Bazaar in Istanbul. Unfortunately, the only way to get your hands on this powdered gold is by actually going there yourself, which I did this past summer! Check out some pictures from my trip to the Bazaar below!
P.S. We did list an alternative for those of you who cannot get their hands on the authentic stuff.
Sahlab {سحلب}
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Milk
- 2 Tbsp Sugar
- 2 Tsp Salep powder or, cornstarch
- 1 Tsp Rose water
- Cinnamon & Crushed Pistachios for Garnish
Instructions
- In sauce pan add the milk, sahlab powder and sugar. Whisk while cold to dissolve the powder and sugar.
- Put saucepan on medium-high heat, stirring constantly to avoid sticking, until it boils and thickens
- Remove from heat, add rose water and mix together.
- Pour into cups and garnish with cinnamon (a must!!) and pistachios (optional).