Malabi - where to find it?

[Kerry Beal]

At Zahav for dinner last night during the Philadelphia gathering - one of the desserts was a pavlova filled with custard flavored with malabi. Malabi is apparently the root of an edible orchid.

Is anyone familiar with this? What format does it come in and where can it be found?

[lstrelau]

Don't know where you would buy it but also, I believe called salep or salepi, sahlep, dahlepi, salop,sahlap so that might help you find it in middle eastern stores

Apparently available as dried and/or powdered.

Used in Greek ice cream called kaimaki

Several references on chowhound

Have fun looking

Llyn

[Mjx]

There's this: http://www.israelikitchen.com/tag/malabi/. The orchid root traditionally used [in some versions] is apparently endangered, and not strictly required by the recipe.

[SylviaLovegren]

There's a milk pudding called mahalabia in the Arab countries and malabi in Israel. Mahalabia was probably made in Turkey originally with the salep orchid root. If you wiki "salep" you'll find out that it is illegal to ship salep out of Turkey now because the orchid is endangered, so only artificial salep flavoring is available outside Turkey.

Most mahalabias I've had have been flavored with rosewater or have been made with no additional flavor at all, just the milk and sugar. Here's a typical recipe: http://www.nandinisfood.com/2010/04/muhallabia-arabic-milk-pudding.html

Maybe one of the middle eastern posters will weigh in with more direct knowledge.

[Mjx]

If you have your heart set on using the root (and although there are some rerences to its 'special flavour', other sources simply mention its signficance as a starch), you might try growing the plant (Orchis macula), which thrives in wide range of climates (including some cold and harsh ones). In Turkey, they seem bent on eating the plant out of existence, so I'd feel irresponsible recommending trying to get the root powder.

Might the owners of Zahav tell you about what the malabi-flavoured custard contained, and what they used (the menu just says 'malabi mousse', which could as easily refer to a flavour palette as a specific ingredient)?

[Hassouni]

Be aware the Mahlab and Sahlab (Turkish: Salep) are two entirely different things. The former are the ground pits of a certain kind of cherry, whereas the latter is the orchid root crushed into a starch to make a thick drink also called sahlab, as well as a thickener for classic Turkish and Levantine ice cream. They taste quite different.

[Kerry Beal]

I have mahlab in the house already - so I know that's not the flavour I'm after. I should probably try the same source I got my mahlab from - he has a lot of the weird and wonderful things. Growing it would ultimately make the most sense - but wouldn't help in the short term!

[Hassouni]

http://www.aldoukan.com/acb/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&User_ID=6647506&st=7246&st2=-89916537&st3=88600964&Product_ID=3865 how about that?

[Kerry Beal]

http://www.aldoukan....Product_ID=3865 how about that?

Indeed - and seeing the package convinces me even more that I might find it at the Punjab market where I find all my weird and wonderful stuff. Might just see if I have time to hit it on the way to work this afternoon.

[Hassouni]

If you have a Lebanese or other Arab store near you, that's a better bet, as to my knowledge it's not used in Subcontinental cooking.

[Kerry Beal]

http://www.aldoukan....Product_ID=3865 how about that?

Indeed - and seeing the package convinces me even more that I might find it at the Punjab market where I find all my weird and wonderful stuff. Might just see if I have time to hit it on the way to work this afternoon.

Sadly - they apparently usually have it but are out and ordered it a few weeks back. A couple of other stores have occurred to me that I should check.

[Kerry Beal]

If you have a Lebanese or other Arab store near you, that's a better bet, as to my knowledge it's not used in Subcontinental cooking.

The Punjab Market is the source of many items - not just Punjabi ingredients. Saleem prides himself on having available every single item that his european customers might want. First place I head for anything different.