With the temperatures outside dipping into the negative, the urge to drink water is less but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t drink anything. So to keep your fluid intake interesting and add some winter vibes to your (mostly home-contained) lives, here are some traditional Turkish winter drinks (and some not) to warm you up and make you feel good.

Salep

Though the spelling of this Turkish winter staple is usually debated (salep vs. sahlep), the Turkish Language Association (TDK) is unwavering that there is no "h," no matter how many people try to squeeze it in before the "l." Dubbed the drink of the sultans, salep has a history that dates back 3,000 years. The thick, creamy, white drink is made out of the dried tubers of the Orchis genus of the orchid family, characterized by its purple or pinkish flowers. These ground tubers are also one of the main ingredients of the world-renowned Maraş ice cream.

As soon as the weather gets colder in Turkey almost every cafe offers this cinnamon-dusted creamy drink that, according to dietitian Nihan Yakut, keeps you satiated thanks to the complex carbohydrates it contains called glucomannan. As salep is made with milk, it becomes even more nutritious thanks to the proteins. However, Yakut stresses that salep should be made from scratch to reap these benefits, not be store-bought. These benefits were even known to Ottoman physicians, who had the recipe for the drink in their dietary manuals.

Adding cinnamon, Yakut says, helps to balance blood sugar. The traditional drink is also rich in vitamins A and C and potassium.

So how can you make this delectable drink? First, you’ll need to find the salep itself – and I don’t mean the "pour hot milk over it" instant mixtures sold in stores, but the ground orchid tubers themselves. Many aktars (specialized Turkish spice and herbs stores) or kuruyemiş shops in Turkey sell it. And you won’t need much of it either.

Ingredients