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Also known as ‘salep’, sachlav is a unique Israeli ‘beverage’ that’s porridge-like in consistency. Experts have classified it as neither a food item, nor a drink, but it leans towards being a drink—at least in Israel—since it is served in cups. The dish usually comes topped with shredded coconut, raisins and chopped pistachios. Urns filled with hot sachlav can be spotted at the Mahane Yehuda Market in Jerusalem and the Shuk HaCarmel in Tel Aviv.
In Hebrew, ‘sachlav’ means orchid. However, the dish no longer uses ground orchid tubers. Some people believe that the Roman Empire, where it was considered an aphrodisiac, had a role to play in its origin. Gil Marks estimates this in The Encyclopaedia of Jewish Food. Others argue that it originated in the 17th-century Ottoman empire and spread from there. As per the second argument, the beverage originated in Turkey and the Middle East, and then reached England and Germany, much before tea and coffee became popular.
Saloop, the drink’s English version, was well known in England during the 18th and 19th centuries. Originally, it used salep, which was later replaced by the roots and leaves of the sassafras tree. The plant worked as a thickening agent and also a stimulant. Saloop was sold as a substitute for tea and coffee as it was cheaper. However, it became less popular after it was used to treat venereal diseases since it began to be associated with shame. Although the drink is rarely found in Europe these days, it remains a favourite in the Middle East.
Sachlav is different in every country. The ground orchid tubers are often used as an ingredient in ice creams and desserts, and also in herbal medicine as it has been established that they help the body recuperate after disease. The drink particularly heals the common cold and cough, and so is a mainstay during the winter. It is considered Israel’s answer to hot chocolate, as the country doesn’t grow cocoa beans. Stored in metal samovars at outdoor markets, sachlav keeps shoppers warm and is also sold as instant packets at supermarkets.
Recipes for sachlav differ from region to region. Some use rosewater or orange blossom water, while others prepare it with coconut and cinnamon. Cooks in Israel make it thick but drinkable, and those in Turkey (where it is known as salep) treat it more like a pudding to be eaten with a spoon. These days, it has become rare to use the original orchid tubers since they are expensive. Thickening agents like corn starch and potato starch have replaced them in modern versions of the drink.
Because of the geopolitics of the region, the origins of sachlav remain disputed to this day. Palestinian activists have stated that the drink is actually the cultural property of the Arabs and has been appropriated by Israel, much like hummus and falafel. While there seems to be no immediate resolution to the debate, it can be said that sachlav is both Palestinian and Israeli to douse the fires that arise from political arguments related to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
