My research is still in its infancy, but what I have learned has been fascinating to say the least. I recently wrote a blog about the specimens of amber that were found that had insects preserved inside with extinct orchid pollen on them as far back as the Miocene and Cretaceous period. My next stop in my research history is in ancient Mesopotamia.
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a depiction of King Ashurbanipal from relief carvings
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Mesopotamia was situated within the Tigris and Euphrates river basins in the northern part of what was called the Fertile Crescent, today it is known as Iraq but also includes parts of Iran, Turkey, Syria and Kuwait.
Nineveh was an ancient city located in Mesopotamia and was the capital of the Assyrian empire. It became a significant hub of civilization around 3000 BC and officially became the Assyrian capital around 700 BC. At its peak, it was the largest city in the world until its fall in 612 BC. Nineveh was known for its contributions to art, education, and culture, boasting a famous library. The city also featured beautiful gardens, parks, and even a zoo.
King Ashurbanipal was the king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire in Nineveh from 669 BC to his death in 631. He was considered a figure of great strength, both physically and intellectually. He often depicted himself wielding weapons alongside a stylus, setting him apart from previous kings by showcasing his knowledge in literature, writing, mathematics, and other scholarly pursuits.
From a young age, he developed a keen interest in the rich literary traditions of Mesopotamia, mastering intricate texts in both Akkadian and Sumerian. Once he ascended to the throne, he made use of the vast resources at his command to establish the world's first "universal" library in Nineveh. This remarkable Library of Ashurbanipal is considered the most comprehensive library in ancient Assyria and the first to be systematically organized in history. It is estimated to have housed over 100,000 texts, remaining unmatched in size until the Library of Alexandria was built centuries later. Approximately 30,000 of these documents survived the fall of Nineveh in 612 and have been uncovered among the ruins of the city. The Royal Library was said to have over 30,000 tablets and various writing boards, all written in the ancient text of cuneiform. Like any good librarian these days, the tablets and boards were all stamped with symbols to indicate that they were from his royal library.After his death around 627 BC, the Neo-Assyrian Empire started to fall apart due to intense civil wars among rival factions. In 616 BC., Assyria faced attacks from former allies, including the Chaldeans, Babylonians, Medes, and Scythians. Nine was sacked, and the allied forces eventually laid siege to Nineveh, leading to its destruction in 612 BC.
When researchers excavated the site of the Royal Library of Ashurbanipal in 1849, they found broken and scattered remains of the library. Among the remains that were found was he works of the Epic of Gilgamesh, which is considered one of the oldest works of literature in the world. The "Flood Tablet" recorded the story of the Great Flood. Until the Flood Tablet was found, the Great Flood was only known from the Bible. Among some of the other tablets that were found were ingredient lists for recipes. The clay tablets referenced elaborate recipes that called for rare ingredients. There were lists of dates, apples, figs, pomegranates, grapes, apricots, mulberries, and melons as well as saffron and orchid root which were harvested for the table. The orchid roots listed were likely to have been a species of the tuberous Orchis genera as well as some of the edible species of the Disa, Habenaria and Eulophia genera, all of which were widely distributed across Northern Africa and Central Asia.
While we don't know exactly why the orchids were consumed as they were in ancient Mesopotamia, we can only speculate their uses based on other historical references in other times. Edible flowers were consumed in different cultures as they were used in culinary practices to enhance the flavors or aromas of the dishes prepared as well as for aesthetic value.
More modern images by way of botanical drawings of the orchids mentioned above
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| Botanical drawing of Eulophia Virens from 1866 |
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| Botanical drawing of Disa Uniflora from 1911 |
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Botanical drawing of Habanera procera from 1858
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Botanical drawing of Orchis mascula from between 1917 and 1926
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So what is Salep (Saw-lep)?
Salep has a history that dates back to the 8th century in Anatolia (modern day Turkey) and is said to have been used not only consumed as a beverage, but it was used to flavor dishes alongside rosewater, honey or orange flowers. The orchids that were used to produce Salep are from orchids that have underground tubers. Orchids, like Orchis mascula would be a prime example of the type used to make Salep. Tuberous orchids like Orchis mascula, have two tubers that grow underground. With Orchis mascula, mascula means "virile" or "male" in Latin, which is apt, because the tubers on the Orchis mascula look like two testicles. As these tuberous orchids grow, the orchids go dormant during the cooler months with one tuber and then develops a second tuber in the spring.
When the tubers are ready for harvest, the older tubers are removed from the soil, washed, cleaned then boiled and set out to dry, leaving the new tuber growth for the plant to continue growing in the ground. The reason why they are boiled is to stop the potential growth of another tuber off of the harvested tuber, from producing as it normally would in nature. Once the tubers have gone through the cleaning process, they are laid out in the sun to dry. The drying process makes the tubers hard, which is easier to process in a mill to turn into flour.
Salep is a beverage that is still consumed to this day, most notably as a winter/cold weather beverage. The tubers used in Salep contain a nutritious polysaccharide called glucomannan. Glucomannan is a soluble dietary fiber found in plants that is hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs water. Salep has been used to treat digestion problems such as heartburn, gas an indigestion and also to treat diarrhea in children. Think of it as a different version of what we use Pepto Bismol for today. It has also been used as a thickening agent in foods.
With its popularity as a beverage over the ages, as well as construction and population growth of people in the areas where it normally grows in the Middle East, it has caused a decline in population of the orchids that were traditionally used to make Salep. From what I've read, is its illegal to import/export real/true salep because of its fragile ecosystem. Modern formulations of the beverage now substitute a different ingredient in place of the orchid flour. Today, the beverage is made with hot milk and sometimes garnished with cinnamon.
The other evening, I had reached out to a friend of mine on Facebook who travels a lot and asked them if they were familiar with Salep. We had a nice discussion about it and they gave suggestions on where I could find it. As soon as Josh and I finished our work day, we hopped in the car and headed to the next town over to see if we could find Salep in one of the stores that was recommended as a suggestion. Once we got there, I found other things that I wanted to purchase (I purchased about 8# of persimmons by the way!). It took us a little bit to find the Salep because we weren't really sure what we were looking for. Was it in a tin? Was it in a box or jar? We eventually found it near where the Turkish Delight was shelved. The Salep we found was in a small box that contained several packets of mix. The store only had two boxes in stock so I grabbed both and put them in my basket. We eventually went to check out and had some dinner at a nearby restaurant before we made our way home.
Once we got home, I was eager to see what Salep tasted like. I took a shortcut and heated some milk in the microwave (don't judge me!) and used my milk frother to mix the ingredients into the milk. I added a wee bit of sugar and topped it with a dash of cinnamon. The first sip of Salep was very cinnamon-y and was just absolutely cozy. I can see why it is so popular to drink in the colder months! I shared some with Josh, but I ended up finishing my cup of Salep off. After reading some reviews and descriptions online after the fact about how to make Salep, I realized that my shortcut wasn't the ideal way to prepare the beverage. Next time I make it, I will boil the milk on the stove and then add the Salep mix to it. From what I read; it should have a slightly thicker consistency than just milk. In my mind, I picture the consistency as slightly thinner than a melted milkshake?
It has been really neat to connect the dots of orchids through history and see how they have been used. I know I'm only touching the tip of the iceberg but I look forward to what I learn in the future. Today I went to the monthly meeting of the Triad Orchid Society. Each meeting, people bring orchids in from their collections and another member, who is an American Orchid Society judge, goes over the orchids that were brought in and rates them based several factors, like one would at an orchid show, flower show etc. One of the orchids that was brought in, caught my eye and I recognized the name! It was an orchid of the Habaneria species!! I asked the lady who brought it in about it and I told her how that species was documented in history and related what I had found out about ancient Mesopotamia and how the orchids tubers were used as food. She had no idea about the history of that level and found it interesting about the tubers. I also shared that information with another member of the society that was there today and they mentioned something about me setting up a display at one of the orchid shows to share what I've learned about orchids through history.
I'm really looking forward to what lies ahead!
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Orchis mascula in it's
natural environment
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Some more information on Orchis masculaScientific Classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Genus: Orchis
Species: O. mascula
Orchis mascula is a perennial plant that typically grows between 20 and 24 inches tall. Its leaves are clustered at the base of the stem, oblong shaped, and usually pale with occasional brownish-purple spots. While this plant doesn’t produce nectar, it still manages to attract pollinators like bees, wasps, and sometimes even beetles.
This species has a broad range, found from Portugal all the way to Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Latvia, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Albania, Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, Poland, Ukraine, and much of Russia. It also appears in northern Africa and stretches into the Middle East, reaching up to Iran. You can spot it in various habitats, including meadows, mountain pastures, and forests, thriving in both sunny and shady areas, from sea level up to around 8,000 feet.
Salep and Boza - History and Recipe of Special Turkish Winter Drinks
The New Gastronome - Salep - Turkey's Underground Treasure by Nil Erdoğan
Università degli Studi di Scienze Gastronomiche, Pollenzo CN, Italy
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