In this recipe, we are making the quintessential West African drink — Sobolo. This Spiced Hibiscus drink is packed full of West African spices, a whole lot of nutrients, and most importantly, flavour. West African like to eat good and feel good. No food is not made without the intention to nourish and quench. Sobolo is a perfect example of mixing medicinal with tasty and creating a powerful concoction that is bursting with flavour and sweet aromas.

My mum started making these well before summer mainly because of its medicinal properties. The delicious taste was a bonus. If you have ever been to a West African or Caribbean household, these are for sure something you might drink especially in the summer. It is known as Sorrel in the Caribbean islands, Sobolo in Ghana, Zobo in Nigeria and Bissap pretty much through out West Africa.

What is Sobolo

Sobolo is a hibiscus drink made from Hibscus/Roselle petals, not to be confused with hibiscus tea. The hibiscus used for this drink is said to be indigenous to West and East Africa. It may have made it’s way west to the Caribbean by way of the slave trade. Different cultures make this drink very differently. Even in West Africa there is quite some regional diversity. I have seen Zobo that is made with cloves, pineapple (peel and fruit), ginger and cloves. In Ghana, we pack in the spices ( I mean this is nothing new because we Ghanaians love heat). Our sobolo can include ginger, pineaple (peel, fruit and leaves from the crown), ginger, cloves, dried chilis (yes you heard that right), black peppercorn, grains of paradise (gives a kick), grains of selim and calabash nutmeg. Yes it is a lot but it makes it very distinct. I have seen other variations of what I have detailed in different West African countries, and I have seen recipes that are as simple as the hibiscus petals, steeped in hot water with sugar and maybe oranges. When you cross the Atlantic to the Caribbean, you will see that their sorrel drink has oranges and cinnamon sticks. Every person adds their own flair to it

What you will need to make sobolo

As you have seen from the description of this drink, there is a lot of variations. I find that the Ghanaian version has a lot of ingredients, many of which add a nice taste, but can always be switched around or removed. It’s all about what you have available and what you like.

• Hibiscus/ Sorrel Flowers: This red flower is the most important part of the recipe. It is full of colour and has a sour flavour. You can find it at many Caribbean and African stores. NOTE: hibiscus tea you get in tea bag are not going to work. These are completely different from the sorrel.
• Added Fruit: Traditionally, pineapple (the fruit and skins) are used to add sweetness and extra antioxidants, but feel free to use oranges or any fruit of choice
• Spices: Ghanaian sobolo tends to use a lot of spices compared to our other West African counterparts. The spices serve not only as flavour but also a ton of medicinal properties. These spices include grains of Selim, grains of paradise, African bird eye chilli and many more. For more info on Ghanaian spices, check out this blog post (click here)

• Sweetner: I tend to use sugar for my drink since hibiscus can be sour, but to cut down on sugar, I include a handful of medjool dates. They are incredibly sweet but with added fibre and nutrients, they are actually a good source of sugar,

How to make Sobolo

1. Clean: You will need to clean the pineapple by soaking a vinegar and water solution to make sure it is clean. Fill up the sink with water and add a few splashes of vinegar
2. Prep Ingredients: This is where the most work is done. Peel off the skin, pluck a few of the leaves from the crown and chop up the pineapple fruit into cubes. Peel the ginger. Soak the dates in warm water and grind the spices
3. Blend: Blend the pineapple, ginger and dates till smooth
4. Boil Drink: In a large pot, combine all the ingredient in water and let it come to a boil. Once it has boiled, add the sorrel and let is steep at a rolling boil for 30 minutes.
5. Cool: After the 30 minutes, turn off the heat, add your sugar to taste (adding in bits till desired sweetness) and let the drink completely cool
6. Strain: Once the drink has completely cooled, you will need to strain out the liquid with a fine mesh strainer. Use clean hands and don’t be afraid to get your hands in there and squeeze out the liquid from the fruits sitting in the drink.

This drink really only requires some chopping here and there, it really is something that can be made while multitasking and can be done right before sleep and left overnight to cool.