The Turkish hot drink made from ground orchid tubers and milk is salep.
Salep begins with flour made by drying and grinding tubers from orchids, including species in the genus Orchis. The flour contains glucomannan, a starchy polysaccharide that thickens liquids and gives the drink its smooth, creamy consistency. Modern salep is commonly prepared with hot milk and sugar, then finished with spices such as cinnamon.
The drink has deep roots in the cuisines of the Byzantine and Ottoman worlds and was also known historically in England as saloop. It was popular in parts of Europe before coffee and tea became dominant. In Turkey, Kahramanmaraş is especially associated with maraş salebi, while salep powder is also used in traditional dondurma to create its characteristic stretch and resistance to melting.
Wild-orchid harvesting has caused ecological pressure. Turkey has restricted exports of genuine salep, so many commercial instant mixes now use artificial flavoring or substitute starches.