P.S. Salep…

…a sip of heaven.

Not sure how I missed adding this to my previous post, but this little cup delivered the sustenance we needed after our wonderful – but chilling – tour of the han last week (see previous post).

Warm, rich and thick, it reminded me of the custard my grandmother used to make.

Except this version I could drink out of a styrofoam cup.

Ambrosia!

Salep has been enjoyed since the days of the Ottoman Empire. Made with the starchy, dried powdered roots of a mountain orchid, milk and sprinkled with cinnamon, its consistency is not unlike that of the homemade glue we used to make to paper mache a balloon for a homemade pinata.

Luckily, it tastes much better.

(Not that I tried the glue.)

(I did not, I swear. I did try dog food once, but that was when I was young, ignorant and obviously hungry.)

(Just kidding, mom.)

(About the hungry part. I did try the dog food on some wager.)

(One of many wagers, if I recall correctly. Ahh, the craziness of youth when there were no computers to occupy us!)

We purchased our Salep from a street vendor who prided himself on having some of the best Salep in Istanbul…and if our groans and moans were any indication, his wasn’t empty boasting.

So, folks, make sure to track down some yummy Salep if you are in Turkey on a cold, winter day.

Or any day.