You might not think about orchids as ingredients in food but there are several orchids used in food among which vanilla is the most common? The cousine in Asia minor uses a lot of different orchids.

The Early Purple Orchid, Orchis mascula, is an orchid found in around the mediterranean as well as in nearby areas. The orchid flowers in early during spring or early summer. It has been regarded as a powerful aphrodisiac and was referred to as “long purple” by Gertrude in Shakespeare’s Hamlet: “


“of crow-flowers, nettles, daisies, and long purples, that liberal shepards give a grosser name”. Gertrude in Shakespeare’s Hamlet

Early purple orchid roots were used in different spells and incantations in ancient Europe.

The Early Purple Orchid forms underground tubers which are ground to a powder and used in the kitchen, chiefly to produce the hot beverage “salep” or Turkish ice cream (more or less)”salepli dondurma” dondurma is the Turkish word for ice cream. This species is also an ingredient in salep pudding which is a much appriciated desert in certain parts of the middle east.

The powder made from the tubers is known as salep (just like the beverage) or sachlav. Some sources believe that the word salep comes from the Turkish expression “¸¸¥asyu al-tha`lab” which literary means fox testicles a graphic description of the appearance of the tubers. other etymologist believe the word salep simply comes from the arabic name sa¸sa¸¥lab.

Orchid drink

Salep used to be a popular drink in large parts of Europe, including England and Germany, but have since been out competed by coffe and tea. It had different names in different countries, in England, as an example it was known as saloop. Recipes from the 1600s and 1700s show that salep served in Britain during this period consisted of salep powder mixed with water before being sweetened and flavoured with rose water or orange flowers. When Orchis mascula powder, aka salep powder was not available many britts used the tubers from common brittish orchids such as dogstones instead.

Salep remains a popular drink in Turkey, especially during fall and winter. The powder is heated with milk, sugar and cinnamon and served as a thick beverage. The drink is sometimes referred to as Turkish Delight, but this can cause misunderstandings since that name is also attributed to lokum, a confection made from starch and sugar.

Today, it is illegal to export true salep powder from Turkey due to a decline in wild orchid populations. If you’re not in Turkey or have a salep supplier from another country, you may have to make do with instant salep mix made with artificial flavouring.

Orchid ice-cream

The Turkish ice cream dondurma differs from other types of ice cream by being much tougher and chewier. It is also highly resilient to melting. Dondurma is made from goat milk using traditional methods and the special texture is produced by the use of salep and mastic resin as thickening agents. Mastic, an ingredient in the ice cream, is an evergreen shrub of the Pistacio family.

In a certain area of turkey, Kahramanmara, they make dondurma with large amount of salep producing a thick ice cream. This ice cream is known as mara dondurmas and can actually be eaten with a knife and fork. In Turkey, dondurma and mara dondurmas is commonly sold from street carts where the mixture is churned regularly using long-handled paddles.