Bucak Salebi Product Description and Distinctive Features: Bucak Salebi is produced by drying and grinding the thick, tuberous roots of terrestrial orchids from the Orchidaceae family. Once ground into a fine powder, it is packaged and made available for sale. Bucak Salebi is primarily used in the beverage and ice cream industries. The plant's tubers are collected, dried in their natural habitat, and then ground into powder using mills with a unique production method specific to the region. With its rich history, Bucak Salebi is deeply tied to the geographic area where it is produced. Production Method: 1. Crushing: Since dried salep is quite hard, it cannot be ground directly. Therefore, it is first passed through a crusher to break it into smaller fragments. Typically, crushers known as "çekiçli" crushers are used for this process. 2. Grinding: Once broken into small pieces, the salep is ground in a stone mill. The resulting ground salep has a texture that is between flour and semolina, appearing as a fine powder. 3. Screening and Cleaning: After grinding, the salep is sieved to eliminate any larger pieces that couldn't be ground. This step ensures that any unground particles are removed and, if necessary, ground again. 4. Mixing: The musilage (glycomannan) content of the powdered salep is carefully measured and adjusted to the required ratios as outlined in Table 1. 5. Packaging: Bucak Salebi is packaged either in cloth or plastic bags, depending on the demand. It is also packaged in smaller units, labeled, and made available for sale. 6. Preparing Bucak Salebi as a Ready-to-Drink Beverage: Ingredients: - 1 liter of whole milk - 70 g powdered sugar - 7 g Bucak Salebi To prepare, the Bucak Salebi is combined with sugar in a container. In a separate pot, this mixture is gradually added to boiling milk while being stirred continuously. The cooking continues until the milk thickens to the desired consistency, which usually takes about 15-20 minutes. Bucak Salebi can be served plain or garnished with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top.