Salep comes from the bulbs of wild orchids. Those wild orchids cannot be cultivated and they are illegally foraged from the wild.
Currently the production of salep is not sustainable.
Currently the production of salep is not sustainable.
The name orchid comes from Greek, from orchis (testicles). Each plant has two bulbs, hence the name, and it was considered in ancient times a strong aphrodisiac.
These species of orchids can be found throughout the Mediterranean, and all the way to Iran.
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-18255-7_...
It seems doubly worthwhile to experiment with in this case since it would both keep a food tradition viable and protect the orchid species from disappearing. When I google Orchis mascula I do find info about cultivation (though cultivation on a commercial scale might be a different matter).
Wild orchids require fungi in the soil to help them grow. They are not self-sufficient in terms of chlorophyll.
Wild orchids have the weirdest pollination requirements. They require specific species of insects (bees, wasps) and the common bee cannot help. As they do not have enough nectar or pollen, they are trying to attract insects through trickery. Either pheromones, looking like a female insect of the same species, faking nectar, you name it.