Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A starchy meal ground from the dried roots of various orchids chiefly of the genus Orchis, used for food and formerly as medicine.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A drug consisting of the decorticated and dried tubers of numerous orchidaceous plants, chiefly of the genus Orchis.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The dried tubers of various species of Orchis, and Eulophia. It is used to make a nutritious beverage by treating the powdered preparation with hot water.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A starch or jelly made out of orchid-like plants.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Turkish salep, from Arabic saḥlab, orchid from which salep is made, salep, probably alteration of (ḫuṣā al)-ṯa‘lab, (testicles of the) fox (from the appearance of the tubers); see ṯעlb in Semitic roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Turkish salep, from Arabic سحلب (saḥlab).

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Examples

  • And it's not a nog, but there's the thick, creamy Middle Eastern beverage sahlep aka salep or sahlab, which is made with milk and powdered orchid root.

    CNN.com 2010

  • “It is what the Turkish people call salep, an oil made of the roots and flowers of the early purple orchid.

    Sexy Beast IV Kate Douglas, Deanna Lee, Dawn Thompson 2008

  • If you would like some of the salep, I can send it to you.

    Recipe for Sea Urchin Risotto (Ριζότο με Αχινό) Laurie Constantino 2009

  • On the salep, that's a very generous offer - thanks!

    Recipe for Sea Urchin Risotto (Ριζότο με Αχινό) Laurie Constantino 2009

  • For this reason it is illegal to ship true salep out of the country.

    Legendary Ice Cream That Does Not Melt 2007

  • For this reason it is illegal to ship true salep out of the country.

    Archive 2007-10-01 2007

  • The Kahramanmaraş region is known for its distinct ice cream, Maraş dondurması, which contains more salep than usual; it is much tougher and stickier, and may even require a knife and fork to eat.

    Legendary Ice Cream That Does Not Melt 2007

  • The unusual texture is produced by the use of salep (a flour made from dried orchid tubers) and mastic resin as thickening agents, together with other flavorings.

    Archive 2007-10-01 2007

  • However, the popularity of the salep flavor in Turkish ice cream has caused a decline in the populations of the region's wild orchids.

    Legendary Ice Cream That Does Not Melt 2007

  • The unusual texture is produced by the use of salep (a flour made from dried orchid tubers) and mastic resin as thickening agents, together with other flavorings.

    Legendary Ice Cream That Does Not Melt 2007

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