Gezundheit? No! They're just two more wonderful drinks available this time of year.
It is my goal and duty to try as many flavors of this country as I can and I think I'm doing a pretty decent job of it so far. I read about two different beverages available only in the cooler months and it took some waiting, but both the cool weather and the beverages arrived on cue. First up was Salep, which I saw on a cool late October day, but couldn't find when I went back days and weeks later. It's okay. I see it in the stores now. What is it? Well wikipedia says this about it. I just know it's supposedly made with orchid root and it served warm and is a great way to warm up.
My experience with it came during a visit from friends on a day trip to Sultanahmet. It was cool, but not cold and I saw a man selling a drink from a cart with a lot of steam coming from it. I knew it wasn't the so-so chestnuts that are on every other street so I wandered up and saw the sign for Salep. I was so excited! It was 3 TL (~US $1.80) for a cup, not too bad. It it served with a dash of cinnamon on top.
Boy in tow. Drink in hand.
Ah, yes.
What is it like? Well, first off, it is hot as magma. Have you ever tried a big gulp of magma? I do not recommend it. Salep has amazing heat retention qualities. This drink is not for kids as they will have to hold onto the cup for ten solid minutes before the drink will be cool enough not to peel the skin off their lips.
After that, it is good. It is thick and sweet and very comforting. Thick as in a thin pudding. I don't remember a predominant flavor, per se, but it was good. You can also find Salep in the stores either as a pre-mixed drink or in powder form. We have a box of it that we have not cracked open yet.
Next up was Boza. I had read about Boza and was equally excited to find some one day in my outings. I found it at the grocery store the day before Thanksgiving. Boza is a fermented beverage made from millet. Again, here is what wikipedia has to say about it. Here are two more entries I found on the interwebs. One is from a food blog a friend sent and the other was discovered randomly, but I quite enjoy it.
I was happy to discover that the brand I picked up is from Vefa, the famous Bozacisi located in the Fatih neighborhood. It comes with it's own little packet of cinnamon. And what is IT like? It is sweet. It is tart. I was expecting something much more tart due to the fermentation, but it is very mild (and less than 1% alcohol). Leslie thinks it tastes a bit like apples and I think she's right. It is also very thick. I finish mine with a spoon. It can be served cold or warm, but I've only tried mine warm. And as the blogs say, it is usually accompanied by Leblebi, toasted chickpeas. I happened to pick up a half kilo of those from Malatya Pazari, famous makers of delicious Turkish Delight. I have to say that the leblebi really does add something to the Boza flavor. You have the toasted nut flavor of them with the tartness of the drink. It is quite wonderful.
So they look quite simliar and are found at the same time of year, but are quite different and delicious in their own way. Apparently, Boza is so nourishing, it was used to feed the Ottoman troops before it was banned due to Islamic restrictions on consuming alcohol. I am now supplementing my meals with it. Not really, it's just my new treat that I can justify drinking whenever because it is so good.
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