Salgam
Şalgam , actually Şalgam Suyu (" turnip juice "), is a non-alcoholic, sour and spicy drink made from vegetables that is lightly salted. The drink is particularly popular in the city of Adana and in southern Turkey as an accompaniment to rakı and spicy dishes. However, it is widespread all over Turkey and is also consumed as a soft drink and with other dishes (mostly meat).
Şalgam traditionally consists of the juice fermented red turnips , now often also mixed with the juice of beetroot and carrot , and is mainly produced in private households or family farms. To do this, the chopped vegetables, similar to sauerkraut , are subjected to lactic acid fermentation after adding yeast , salt , and sometimes chickpeas or garlic and water , and the liquid is then strained.
Salgam is served cold in a glass, sometimes with pieces of fermented beets. Salgam sellers usually keep a spicy and mild variety in stock so that the customer can choose. Industrially manufactured Şalgam is now part of the standard range in Turkish supermarkets.