Turkish · drink

Şalgam Suyu (Fermented Purple Carrot and Turnip Juice)

Şalgam Suyu (Fermented Purple Carrot and Turnip Juice) reads sweetness 4.5, heat 4.1 and salinity 4.0 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Turkish drink, about 316 hr 25 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 4.4 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 4.9 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 2.7 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.9 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 2.1 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.3 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Sweetness 4.5 · Heat 4.1 · Salinity 4.0 · Umami 3.3 · Earthy 2.7 · Sourness 2.5 · Herbaceous 1.8 · Nutty 1.7 · Fruity 1.5 · Richness 1.2 · Bitterness 1.2 · Funk & Ferment 1.2 · Floral 0.8 · Citrus 0.7

What's in it (7)

• bulgur — 250 g
• sourdough starter — 30 g
• water — 4000 g
• carrots — 1500 g
• baby turnips — 300 g
• coarse salt — 60 g
• hot red chili pepper — 60 g

Time & effort: about 316 hr 25 min (15 min active) · effort: easy

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 24.6 kcal, 0.7 g protein, 0.2 g fat, 5.4 g carbs

Dietary: Vegan — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (6 steps)

1. Black carrots are not a substitute item — they are what makes şalgam suyu the colour of red wine and give it its earthy sweetness. They are sold at Turkish grocers in winter and are worth ordering; an orange carrot produces a pale, thin drink that is not the same thing.
2. Mix the bulgur flour with the sourdough starter and 500 ml of the water to a thick batter, cover with a cloth and leave at warm room temperature for 3 days, stirring once a day. It will smell sharply sour and bubble at the edges. This is the mother of the drink.
3. Strain the fermented batter through muslin into a large sterilised jar, pressing to get all the liquid, and discard the solids.
4. Add the split black carrots, the turnips, the hot peppers and the rock salt to the jar, then top up with the remaining 3.5 litres of water so everything is well covered.
5. Cover with a cloth and leave at cool room temperature, about 18°C, for 10 days. Skim any white bloom off the surface every couple of days. The liquid will go from muddy pink to a deep translucent purple-red and will taste sour, salty and faintly hot.
6. Strain, bottle and refrigerate. Serve very cold in tall thin glasses with a piece of pickled turnip in the glass, traditionally alongside Adana kebabı — the salt and sourness are there to cut the fat of grilled lamb.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Quesadillas con Flor de Calabaza — Mexican
• Uchepos con Crema y Rajas — Mexican · Michoacán
• Shorshe Ilish (Hilsa in Mustard) — Indian · Bengal
• Insalata Alla Bourguignonne (Salad W/Bourguignonne Dressing) — French
• Avial (Mixed Vegetables in Coconut and Sour Curd) — Indian · Kerala

Keep reading: what sweetness, heat, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.