☕ Sahlab (hot orchid milk)
Sahlab is a hot, creamy milk drink thickened with salep, the flour of dried orchid tubers, and sweetened with sugar. It has a smooth, velvety body and a delicate floral sweetness. It is served steaming in a large cup with a generous dusting of cinnamon, and in winter it is a favourite at cafés and street stalls from Istanbul to Cairo.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 500 ml milk
- 2 tsp salep powder
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Method
- Mix the salep powder and sugar together.
- Whisk into the cold milk in a saucepan.
- Heat gently, stirring all the time, until the drink thickens, about 8 minutes.
- Pour into large cups and dust with cinnamon.
How to make it lighter
- Use semi-skimmed milk instead of whole milk.
- Sweeten lightly: 1 tsp sugar ≈ 16 kcal.
- A small cup of about 150 ml is enough to feel warm and satisfied.
History
Drinks thickened with orchid flour have been made for centuries across the former Ottoman lands, and sahlab remains a popular winter drink in Turkey, the Levant and Egypt. Many modern versions use cornflour because real salep is scarce and costly.
Count it in one photo
Point your camera at the table — Me Nutrition recognises Sahlab (hot orchid milk) and every other dish, with calories and macros for each. Ate only half? Slide it.
Download on the App StoreSimilar dishes
Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →