AI-generated image
Zobo
Spiced hibiscus and pineapple cooler from Nigeria, known in Ghana as sobolo
Zobo is the deep crimson drink sold ice-cold in recycled bottles at Nigerian bus parks, markets and parties, and in Ghana the same drink is called sobolo, often made punchier with extra ginger and grains of selim. Dried hibiscus calyces are boiled with pineapple peel, fresh ginger and cloves, then strained and sweetened, giving a tart, fruity, gently spicy drink. It is drunk fresh and alcohol-free, very cold, especially in the dry heat before the rains. Chef's tip: sweeten the drink once it is strained and still warm, tasting as you go; hibiscus tastes much sharper hot than when it is chilled, so leave it a touch sweeter than you think.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Rinse 2 ⅛ oz dried hibiscus flowers (zobo leaves) quickly in a sieve to wash off any dust.
Step 2: Put the hibiscus, 2.5 litres water, the peel and core of ½ pineapple, 2 ⅛ oz fresh ginger, 8 whole cloves and 3 pods grains of selim (uda), lightly crushed if using in a large pot. Bring to the boil over a high heat, then simmer over a low heat until deep red and fragrant.
15 minStep 3: Turn off the heat, add the chopped flesh of ½ pineapple and leave to steep until the pot is just warm.
30 minStep 4: Strain through a fine sieve, pressing the fruit and flowers to get all the juice out.
Step 5: Stir in 5 ½ oz sugar until dissolved, then taste and add 1 lime juice if you like it sharper. A common mistake is boiling the hibiscus for an hour: it turns harsh and bitter rather than fruity.
Step 6: Chill in bottles for at least 2 hours and serve over 10 ½ oz ice cubes. Keeps in the fridge for 4 days.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 90 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 23 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does zobo take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
- What can I use instead of whole cloves?
- Ground cloves, ¼ tsp for every 3 whole cloves.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Guava delight
A thick, fragrant blend of ripe guava, mango and banana, boosted with a spoonful of guava powder from the health shop. The book calls it a modern-day vitality drink, drawing on guava's long use in traditional Indian medicine. Serve it well chilled; sieve it if you don't like the little guava seeds.
Power pack
A sweet, energising juice of apples, pears and kiwi fruit with a stick of celery, all used unpeeled for extra goodness. It's naturally sweet, so it needs no sugar. Serve well chilled.
Horchata de chufa
Horchata de chufa is the drink of Valencia's summer, sold ice-cold in the city's horchaterías with long, soft fartons pastries for dipping. It is made from chufas, or tiger nuts: small wrinkled tubers grown around the village of Alboraya just north of Valencia, which have their own protected designation of origin. Soaked, ground with water, strained and sweetened, they give a creamy, nutty, naturally dairy-free milk with a hint of cinnamon. Valencians drink it very cold, or half-frozen as 'granizada'. Chef's tip: soak the tiger nuts for a full 24 hours and change the water once; they must be plump and soft enough to blend into a fine pulp, or the horchata will be thin and taste of raw starch.