Archive for the ‘giveaway’ Category

Sahlab is a popular wintertime drink throughout the Middle East. The drink is made with milk and salep, a flour made from the tuberous root of a species of orchid, Orchis mascula. Salep has a faintly floral taste, but the drink is mainly consumed for its thick texture. Other flavorings, such as orange blossom water and rose water, are added to the drink just before serving and it is traditional to dust the cup with a couple pinches of cinnamon.

Pure salep is notoriously difficult (and expensive!) to come by outside of Turkey, so you’re more likely to find powdered mixes with cornstarch, sugar, and a small amount of salep sold in Middle Eastern groceries. I’ve also seen people ditch the salep altogether and use cornstarch in its place. Even when only made with cornstarch, sahlab is a great drink for those chilly winter nights and a good alternative for those who don’t like tea or coffee. Salep is also a key ingredient in Turkish ice cream (dondurma), which is known for its chewy texture and resistance to melting.

And, oh yeah! A giveaway. Many months ago, a company I had never heard of approached me and asked if I would like to host a giveaway on my site. I went along with it, despite their somewhat slimy SEO tactics because in the end everyone likes free stuff, right? In the months since the giveaway, they’ve approached me two more times asking me to host another giveaway and sweetening the deal by adding $25 each time. I could offer a $75 gift card for a site I’ve never shopped at before. Maybe the winner will buy something related to food. Maybe not. Instead, I’ve decided to host a giveaway of my own. I often post recipes with ingredients that, depending on where you live, may be difficult to find. If you’ve ever wanted to experiment more with Arabic cooking, but haven’t had the chance, one lucky person (maybe you!) will be receiving some of my favorites – pomegranate molasses, tahini, fava beans, sumac, and sahlab.

To participate, leave a comment (just one!) and tell me what you would like to cook with any of the ingredients offered in the giveaway. The winner will be randomly chosen on March 8th.

Also, I will be taking a small break from blogging. My mom will be visiting San Francisco this week and I’ll need a couple days to recover after she leaves. See you next month!

Sahlab
Print this recipe

2 cups milk (I always use whole milk, but use low-fat or non-fat if you’d like)
sugar, to taste (if using pure sahlab powder or cornstarch, most if not all pre-packaged sahlab mixes already include sugar)
2 tablespoons sahlab powder or cornstarch

Optional flavorings and garnishes:

Rose Water (1/2 teaspoon per serving)
Orange Blossom Water (1/2 teaspoon per serving)
Almond Extract
Vanilla
Shredded coconut
Chopped nuts (pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts)
Ground cinnamon, cardamom, or nutmeg, for dusting

Add the milk (and sugar, if using) to a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally until hot, then add the sahlab powder or cornstarch and stir constantly until the mixture thickens. If adding extra flavorings, like rosewater, orange blossom water, almond extract, or vanilla, stir those in once the drink has thickened. Divide the drink into individual cups and garnish with chopped nuts, coconut, and dust with cinnamon, cardamom, or nutmeg.

Serves 2

Try the recipe index for more ideas.

Tags: arabic, beverage, dessert, egyptian, middle eastern, snack, vegetarian, winter