Sahlab is a popular winter drink in Egypt in cafes, as well as in homes.

The beverage is a thick creamy white hot drink.

The main ingredient is the Salep, which is a white flour like powder obtained from the dried tubers of a wild orchid, Orchis mascula.

The flour is used in other Turkish cooking, such as the thick dondurma icecream.

The main ingredient in the flour is mucilage, which gives sahlab its thick characteristic.

In Egypt, salep powder is kept and used for years. However, in Turkey, it is seasonal, and consumption of last year's crop after the new year's crop is out is frowned upon, much like the kastana (Marron glace).

Resources

• Salep orchid at botanical.com.
• 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica article on salep.
• King's American dispensary on salep.
• An Australian woman writes about salep, contains a recipe.
• Salon.com article on salep dondurma ice cream.

Carob is the legume fruit of the Carob tree, Ceratonia siliqua. It is also known as Locust bean, kharoob, and in Arabic ????.

The fruit is consumed in Egypt as a snack, and used to make a refreshing cold drink popular in shops and street vendors.

Resources

• Columbia Encyclopedia on Carob.

• Purdue Horticulture on new crops on Carob.

Qamar El Din is made from sheets of dried apricot extract also called Qamar El Din.

Karkade is made from the dried petals of roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa), this tart bright red drink can be served either hot or cold. It is said to lower blood pressure. Read more on Roselle here.