I ordered some takeout from a new-to-me Afro-Caribbean restaurant the other day – Cocoa Chili. The food was great – chicken yassa and plantains – but on a whim I threw a drink into my digital cart. A glass of sorrel. It was described as “refreshingly cool hibiscus flower beverage steeped with Caribbean herbs and spices and sweetened with cane sugar.” I was thirsty, I like hibiscus, it sounded good and I am always up to try something new.
Boy, was it ever good. How have I not had this before? Until very recently, sorrel to me has always been a tart, citrusy green herb that grows like crazy in my garden plot. I never knew it was also what some called hibiscus. I’ve cooked with dried hibiscus flowers but knew them more so by the Mexican name, flor de jamaica, not sorrel and have enjoyed hibiscus drinks in Mexican taquerias but it wasn’t like this. There was a spice flavor here I very much enjoyed. How have I not crossed paths with sorrel drink? I’m pretty sure I’ve seen it a time or two but was likely thinking of the green herb, so I glossed over it time and again. Big mistake. This stuff is delicious. Cold, lightly sweetened, a little tart, a little floral with this haunting spice note. Clove? Allspice? Cinnamon? Ginger? What was that? I had a bunch of dried hibiscus flowers leftover from some project so I fired up google. I had to figure this out.
I learned sorrel (or sorrel drink, zobo or sobolo) is popular in Caribbean and African countries and the specifics of the recipe vary slightly. Every recipe starts with dried hibiscus blossoms (or sometime fresh if you’re climately blessed) then warm baking spices are added – cinnamon, allspice, ginger, star anise, cloves and peppercorns are all possibilities. Some might add citrus; I saw versions with orange, lemon and/or limes. The mixture is brought to a boil then left to steep anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 days when it is then strained and sweetened. It reminds me a lot of mulled wine and like that beverage, it is also consumed frequently around the holidays. Most commonly enjoyed cold over ice and it’s not uncommon to add a jigger or two of rum. Rather festive, I must say.
I’m not sure what spices Cocoa Chili use but I decided on fresh ginger, a cinnamon stick, a few allspice berries and some cloves. Because the hibiscus is rather tart, I decided to skip any additional citrus. I put the ingredients into a pot, covered with water and brought the mixture to a boil. Steeping time varied, anywhere from 30 minutes to 4 days. After reading all sorts of thoughts and opinions, I opted for a long steep time – 3 days in the fridge – partly because I felt the spices needed some time to impart their flavors but also because that’s what worked for my schedule.
After 3 days I strained out all the solids, and opted to sweeten with a simple syrup rather than straight sugar. I have very unpleasant memories of childhood Kool-Aid pitchers with a sugar sludge in the bottom that never really quite dissolved. Simple syrup is just easier and you can taste the sweetness level to determine the tart-sweet balance relatively quickly and easily.
I poured an ice filled glass and sat back. Lovely. Just lovely. Bright and refreshing, a little tart, a little sweet with delicious hints of those baking spices. I love it. As an added bonus it’s absolutely gorgeous; a nice vivid dark reddish pink. Many consider this a strictly holiday drink but I think it is perfect for hot summer days. A splash of rum would be welcome and I think tequila would be quite nice too. Over the pandemic I enjoyed quite a few wonderful hibiscus margaritas. They will be even better made with this
So as these super hot days stretch out, maybe grab a bag of those hibiscus blossoms at your Hispanic or African market or even the Hispanic aisle at your regular grocery store, dig out some spices from your stash and brew up a tub of this delicious, vivid liquid. You won’t regret it.
STRESS THERAPY BAKING FACTOR: FEET UP EASY. This isn’t really overly difficult; it just takes time. Hands off time to allow those flavors to develop. Start it early in the week and you’ll be drinking easy by the weekend. Curiously enough, hibiscus is known as “sorrel” in Jamaica and “flor de jamaica” in Mexico. Interesting, no?
Other hibiscus recipes: Strawberries in Hibiscus Syrup, Strawberry Hibiscus Popsicles
twelve years ago: Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies
eleven years ago: Sour Cherry Cobbler
ten years ago: Life in Southwest France
nine years ago: Spanish Sunday Lunch – Patatas Aioli
eight years ago: Hush Puppies, Tin Roof Sundae, Watermelon Aqua Fresca, Rhubarb Beer Jam
seven years ago: Guinness Crème Anglaise
six years ago: Radish Butter, Slow Roasted Spiced Pineapple
five years ago: Pina Colada Sherbet, Orange Julius with Strawberry and Pineapple variations, Chicken Shawarma Pocket Sandwich, Roasted Cherry Vanilla Frozen Yogurt
four years ago: Grand Aioli, Salmon Rilettes
three years ago: Greek Salad Piadini Sandwiches
two years ago: Strawberry Mascarpone Galette
last year: Raspberry Rhubarb Streusel Tart, Ginger Mint Lemonade Base
SORREL (HIBISCUS DRINK) – loosely adapted mostly from this recipe among others
makes 3 quarts
for the steep:
3 quarts water
5 ¼ ounces (150g/about 3 cups) dried hibiscus flowers (sorrel)
½ pound (227g) ginger, and grated (use the grating disk on a food processor)
10 whole cloves
10 allspice berries, roughly crushed
1 large cinnamon stick
for the simple syrup:
2 cups water
2 ½ cups (495g) sugar
- For the steep: In a large pot or Dutch oven, bring water to a boil.
- Add sorrel, ginger, cloves, allspice and cinnamon; and boil until the hibiscus flowers (sorrel) begin to plump and swell, about 8 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let stand until cooled, then continue to steep in an airtight vessel in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours and up to 3 days.
- Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a large pitcher, pressing on solids to express as much liquid as possible. If needed, strain again until it is clear of any ginger remnants. Discard solids.
- For the simple syrup: In a saucepan, bring water to a boil with the sugar.
- Continue to cook, stirring, until sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from heat.
- To finish: Stir simple syrup into the strained sorrel, ½ cup at a time, until desired sweetness level is reached. Keep any extra simple syrup refrigerated for your ice tea or coffee.
- Chill until ready to drink. Serve over ice.
STRESSCAKE 