Sobolo: Spiced Hibiscus Drink

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,

Medicinal Properties

I have shared this on my instagram but echoing the sentiment of eat good, feel good, here is why sobolo allows you to do exactly that

  • Sorrel petals are high in antioxidants, specifically high in flavinoids that are powerful antioxidants, vitamin C and iron
  • Pineapple peels are known to be high in bromelain, a protein digesting enzyme that is great in improving digestion
  • Pineapple as a fruit is high in vitamin C, which is a key factor in immune cell function
  • Grains of Selim have been used to ease sore throat, at least my mum forces me to chew it when I have a cold, but I do not know if there are any scientific facts out there.
  • Ginger is celebrated for its anti-inflammatory process and aid in digestion
  • Spices are also medicinal: cloves have been touted to support liver health

After reading of all the benefits, I was really thinking, so now I can have my cake and eat it too. Its tasty and great for me. Sign me up

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.

Sobolo

Spiced Ghanaian Hibiscus Drink
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Servings: 15 cups

Ingredients

  • 1 pineapple
  • 2 large thumbs ~1/3 cup of ginger peeled
  • 15 grains of selim*
  • 7 african nutmeg*
  • 2 tbsp cloves
  • 2 dried chillies*
  • 1 tbsp black peppercorn
  • 1 tsp grains of paradise*
  • 1 cup dates pitted
  • 2 cups hibiscus
  • 16 cups water
  • Sugar to taste

Instructions

Prepping Ingredients

  • Clean the pineapple by soaking in a water and vinegar solution for 2-3 minutes
  • While the pineapple is soaking, soak the dates in warm water then drain when nice and soft
  • Pluck a few leaves from the pineapple crown and peel the pineapple
  • Cut the pineapple fruit in chunks removing the core

Making the Drink

  • In a blender, blend the pineapple fruit with the ginger, spices and dates till smooth
  • In a pot, add the pineapple leaves, skin, blended mixture, and spices with 10 cups of water and bring to a boil. Do not cover the pot otherwise it will splash
  • One the water has come to a boil, add the sorrel and bring the heat down to allow the mixture to steep at a rolling boil
  • Let it steep for at least 30 minutes, then turn off the stove
  • Add sugar to taste, I added ~ 3/4 cup of brown sugar, adding 1/4 at a time and tasting to make sure I was getting the right sweetness
  • Let it cool till the drink is completely cool (room temperature)
  • Strain drink with a fine mesh strainer. if you have the energy, you can also use a nut milk bag to really get all the bits.
  • Bottle and keep in the fridge

Notes

* All these spices are optional. You can completely remove them and replace with an additional 1/2 tbsp of cloves and 2 cinnamon sticks or not replace them at all. The flavouring is incredibly costumizable

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21 Comments

  • Reply
    Melissa
    July 23, 2020 at 5:00 pm

    I just love Zobo! Thank you for sharing this recipe.

  • Reply
    Anthonia
    December 7, 2020 at 2:38 am

    Come join me as i sip on my Zobo drink.

  • Reply
    Sherri
    January 8, 2021 at 5:36 pm

    What type of dried chillies are used?

  • Reply
    Nicole
    January 28, 2021 at 8:50 pm

    The flavours and spice in this drink are amazing! I’ve made this in the middle of the Canadian winter and it’s definitely helping to get some spring and summer vibes 😄 I’ll be making this all summer long for sure

  • Reply
    Nancy Allard
    August 6, 2021 at 12:25 am

    What kink of seasoning is *paradise?

  • Reply
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    November 10, 2021 at 8:51 pm

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  • Reply
    Ashley Joiner
    August 6, 2022 at 1:52 am

    This is hands down one of my FAVORITE drinks ever! I love that you can drink it hot or cold. In the mornings/evenings I heat it up and drink it like a tea and when the weather is hot I pour it over ice. I also stopped adding sugar for personal health reasons and it is still just as delicious. Yum!!!

  • Reply
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    […] Sobolo is the Ghanian version of Bissap, and is traditionally on the spicy side. This version often includes spices like ginger, cloves, dried chilis, black peppercorn, grains of paradise (gives a kick), grains of selim and calabash nutmeg. Sobolo is perhaps the most “different” compared to other hibiscus drinks because of some interesting spices. These spices are particularly unique to their regions, like grains of paradise. Sometimes called guinea pepper or alligator pepper, it’s a small seed in the same family as ginger, often used in West and North African cuisine. Grains of selim are the seeds of en evergreen tree that grows in East and West Africa and offers a musky, woody flavor. Native to West Africa, Calabash nutmeg is similarly warm and nutty to nutmeg, but also a bit woody. […]

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