"Istanbul...One of... favorite ways to escape the chill is... clutching a cup of hot, thick sahlep topped with a sprinkling of... cinnamon
love at first sip... ordering sahlep at cafes all over town in an attempt to stay warm... sahlep is... restorative... sometimes touted as a treatment for a cold or a sore throat and, since Ottoman times, as an aphrodisiac. Basically sahlep is a milky beverage... Its secret ingredient is a flour ground from the hand-harvested roots of Anatolian mountain orchids. These starchy tubers provide a consistency somewhere between hot chocolate and lump-free tapioca. ... You ... might find street vendors selling it from large copper urns on the streets of Sultanahmet or at the beverage stations inside the... ferryboats crossing the Bosporus to Asia. ... You may find that you like sahlep so much that you want to take some back home. You can buy presweetened sahlep packet mixes at just about any grocery store in Istanbul (think Swiss Miss a la Turka), but the most adventuresome method is to venture into the Egyptian Spice Bazaar in Eminonu to buy the pure ground orchid root powder... ... a... simple recipe... Preparation time: a few minutes Yield: 4 cups (1 liter) 4 cups (1 liter) cold milk 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon sahlep powder sprinkle of cinnamon powder Combine the sugar and sahlep powder in a 2-liter/quart saucepan. Gradually add the cold milk, mixing to dissolve the sugar and sahlep. Bring the milk to the boil over moderate heat, stirring constantly to avoid scorching. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, or until it thickens slightly. Pour the sahlep into 4 individual cups, sprinkle each with cinnamon powder, and serve hot. [and enjoy !!!] ... Comment there is no equivalent to sahlep... in France. If you want to drink a hot thick beverage, you have to ask for a chocolate at Angelinas, on rue de Rivoli, facing the Tuileries garden... you have to go very specific places to drink this beverage" URL : http://blogs.iht.com/tribtalk/travel/globespotters/?p=289 photo : [caption : Hot sahlep at Pia Cafe in Beyoglu, with dried chick peas on the side.] http://blogs.iht.com/tribtalk/travel/globespotters/images/uploads/sahlep469.jpg [Viateur's recipe for a hot Colombian chocolate : get both sweet and sour chocolate (Sol, Luker or other brands) for a large cup, use 1½ tablet of sweet chocolate and 1 tablet of sour chocolate 500 milliliters (2 cups of milk) In a high pot[olleta] pour in the milk and chocolate tablets heat. Stir to help dissolve the chocolate evenly, and once it has come to a boil move the pot from the fire. Beat the mix energetically [with a molinillo], then place the pot back on the heat. Let it boil two more times, beating the mixture in between. Serve. You can add diced cheese (mozzarella, cheddar) when serving the hot chocolate : delicious !!!] ************* Regards, VB _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
