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Adana Drink · Fermented Turnip Juice

Şalgam Suyu

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The vivid purple color doesn't come from the turnip itself but from purple carrots fermented alongside it — turnip only lends the name and a sharper bite.

A deep purple, sour-salty drink made by fermenting purple carrots, turnip, and bulgur with salt and a splash of leftover pickle brine, şalgam is served ice-cold, sometimes spiked with extra chili. It's the standard companion to Adana kebab, drunk straight from the glass between bites.

Why it's made this way: Adana and the Çukurova region's fermented-drink tradition grew up specifically to cut through the fat and heat of the region's kebabs, making şalgam as regionally inseparable from Adana kebab as ayran is from most other Turkish grills.
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Part of World of Street Food — 3248 dishes from 118 countries. Something wrong here? Tell us in the comments below. Photo credits.