Turks and Salep

When it is heard the “ winter” as word, many Turkish people relate between winter and a cup of salep…

Salep is a kind of hot , white and thick drink that’s  made by milk and special powder of wild orchid.

When Turks passed the Islamic belief they gave up  alcoholic  drinks like kımız and wine and they started to consume some the others like şıra, boza and salep without  alcohol. Şıra is generally consumed during summer months,boza and salep have been drunk in winter time.

Salep has been  used for intestinal disease cold since ancient times. In additional, It has an aphrodisiac effect.

In order to obtain 1 kg. of dry salep  needs 2 thousand 600 orchid as averagely. If it isn't find some effective solutions to prevent it , orchids will be faced with extinction due to overconsumption. For this reason, orchid exports is prohibited by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

Knowing all of these increase the worth of a cup of salep.Especially if the weather was freezing cold.

A SHORT HISTORY OF LOKUM

     A traditional Turkish flavor, Lokum appears before us alongside mint
liquor or a strong Turkish coffee at festive celebrations… Varieties of
Turkish Delight are lined side by side in special gifts boxes and then
presented to guests like a jewel in special glass bowls that are as
elegant and fine as lace. Rose, mint, peanut, walnut, gum, and double
roasted – the heartwarming varieties are countless.

Developing with a culture that’s as deep-rooted and as old as

Anatolian history, lokum is a unique flavor that has been

maintained through to present day and known throughout the

world as Turkish Delight. It’s name in Ottoman is "Rahatü’lHulkum"

 meaning contentment of the throat. It gradually

became “latilokum” and finally “lokum”. Lokum has been made

in Anatolia for roughly 15 centuries. Its fame became

widespread within the borders of the Ottoman Empire in the

17th century and was taken beyond borders to Europe by a

traveler in the 18th century as ‘Turkish Delight’. Lokum was

firstly made with honey or molasses and flour but always with

the secrets of its maker. When refined sugar and starch

were discovered, its production technique changed but more

delicious with the magic of makers. And inevitably, lokum

started becoming associated with the maker.

The lokum of today is not very different. Varieties increase as it

becomes more popular and each lokum maker creates his own

followers. Lokum is an unequalled flavor in Turkey and around

the world. Lokum-making today is being preserved by

generations of families in Turkey’s east and west combined with

modern technology. Lokum is registered under the name of the

first person in the family to make it whether it’s the grandfather

or father. Its traditional flavor is maintained and developed for

future generations. Many in these families are each a famous

brand unto themselves. “Turk Lokumu”, known by the name of

the country, is an unrivalled brand around the world.