Sachlav – Israeli comfort food

After the founding of Israel in 1948, thousands of Jews from Arab countries were forced to leave their homelands. They brought with them a wealth of knowledge and their own cuisines, inextricably tied to the countries they just left. Today, many of them, besides Hebrew, continue to speak Arabic, Persian or Turkish. Their Sephardic customs, music and food have become an essential part of Israeli society.

Sachlav, the epitome of Levantine comfort food, is the Israeli alternative to hot chocolate.

Salep is the Arabic and Turkish name; in England it was known as saloop. Sachlav is the Hebrew word for both the orchid as the drink. Its signature flavor and overpowering fragrance is the dried and ground up tubers (bulbs) of the orchid.  

Galilea Orchid 

Orchis is the genus of about 20 species of terrestrial orchids (family Orchidaceae) native to Eurasia and northern Africa. Orchis species are characterized by a pair of egg-shaped underground tubers. Each plant bears a single flower spike with many purple, pink, or white flowers, and most species have several narrow leaves at the base. The petals and sepals often form a helmetlike structure, and the flower lip usually has several lobes. 

orchid roots and tubers 

Several seed plants contain tubers – a specialized storage system that enables them to overwinter. The potato is a typical tuber, as is theJerusalem artichoke and the orchid. The orchid’s tubers contain a nutritious, starchy polysaccharide called glucomannan.

Since the 8^th century, when Turks started converting to Islam, sachlav became a favourite drink.

The Ancient Romans used ground orchid bulbs to make drinks, which they called by a number of names, especially satyrion and priapiscus. It was considered to be a powerful aphrodisiac.

Salep became a popular beverage in the Ottoman Empire. It was given to young women as a "fattener" before their wedding day.

Because it was cheaper than coffee and tea, saloop was popular in 17^th century England and Germany.

People also began to realize the medical qualities of the drink. It gave skin a radiant glow and thickened hair;

It helped against heartburn, flatulence, indigestion and diarrhea, particularly in children. Because it also relieved chest congestion and bronchitis, it became highly popular during the winter months.

However, when it was purported to treat venereal disease, drinking it in public became shameful. In London, saloop stalls now began selling coffee and tea.

Until recently, Turkey yearly harvested 30 tons of tubers from 38 orchid species; it takes from 1,000 to 4,000 tubers to make a kilo of flour. 

dried tubers

In order not to injure the roots, the orchids are very gently removed from the ground. After the washed roots are boiled in milk and water, they are strung on a rope to be dried in the sun. Once completely dried, they are ground into a fine powder - ready for the drink.

With the increasing rarity of some species and local extinctions in Turkey, traders began harvesting wild orchids in Iran. In 2012, between 7 and 11 million orchids of nineteen species and sub-species were collected from northern Iran, with the majority being exported to Turkey. Harvesting of orchid tubers is also increasing in Greece. 

Due to the popularity of sachlav in the Middle East and its subsequent decline in the populations of wild orchids, it has become illegal to export true salep. In Israel, the four pink and two white species are also protected by law. The pink butterfly orchid – sachlav parperani – is the most common orchid in Israel and the first to bloom (between February and April).

Sachlav Parperani 

Locals and chilled tourists visiting Israel in winter can buy a glass of warm sachlav at the Mahane Yehudah market or the Old City Shuk.

Of course, you can also make your own drink at home. Sachlav packages sold at the supermarkets contains sugar-flavoured cornstarch. 
Only the ‘real’, very expensive (!) 100% sachlav is of Turkish origins. But even then, you should carefully read the small print on the package to make sure it’s the pure version.

Here is a recipe of homemade sachlav (you can find many other varieties on the internet). 

SACHLAV RECIPE 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons Sachlav powder or 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 4 cups milk
• 3 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
• 2 teaspoons rose or orange-blossom water (optional)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped pistachios
• Ground cinnamon
• Grated coconut

Preparation:

• Mix the Sachlav powder or cornstarch with a few tablespoons of milk.
• Bring the remaining milk to a boil.
• Pour in the starch mixture, stirring vigorously, so that lumps do not form.
• Cook over very low heat, stirring continuously, until the milk thickens (about 10 minutes).
• If desired: stir in the sugar and the rose water or orange blossom water.
• Serve in cups garnished with the chopped pistachios, cinnamon and grated coconut.

 

Salep seller Cairo, Egypt - 1886

© 2023 Petra van der Zande