Salep

Salep (sahlab) is a starchy, stone-colored powder ground from the dried tubers of various species of Old World wild orchids. The Arabic name sahlab is a corruption of the medieval khisi ‘l-tha’lab (literally, fox’s testicles), so named because the root of the plant begins as two egglike soft tubers, and while one grows, the other diminishes in size. This explains why the plant is also called qatil akhihi (brother killer). Arab medieval botanists describe the root as yellowish white and sticky, with a sweetish taste tinged with a slight sharpness, and a faint semen-like odor. It was regarded as a powerful sexual stimulant (Ibn al-Baytar). Like cornstarch, salep is used as a thickening agent, especially for making ice cream. However, it is more powerful than cornstarch, and unlike the latter, it does not have a starchy aftertaste when undercooked. About 50 per cent of it is a gluey substance. See also Arrowroot.