It's very easy to survive in Ghana if you decide to cut out fizzy drinks completely from your diet. Why do I say this? There are so many highly nutritious and refreshing natural drink replacements such as Ghana Sobolo that will ensure that you do not even think about carbonated drinks in your life. I think about all these drinks and their combination of ingredients and I know that our forefathers were very health and flavor-conscious.Imagine this, you are running errands on a hot and sunny day under the scorching sun, you need something to help you cool off so after spotting a Sobolo vendor, you stop them to make a purchase. Sobolo is usually sold completely frozen or super chilled and this is because, it will naturally thaw under the hot sun or for the period that it is being hawked. After making your purchase of a bottle you proceed to take a few gulps ; now imagine how the spiciness of the ginger and pepper mixed with the aromatics from the spices and the coldness of the entire drink feels in your throat. And the best part? You are getting health in a bottle probably for half the price or lower of a carbonated drink.What is Sobolo?"Sobolo" also known as Spicy hibiscus drink is a very simple drink to make; probably one of the simplest when we compare it side by side with other Ghanaian drinks like Asaana or Zonkom.You only require a few fresh ingredients; the hibiscus leaves which come pink or wine in color, spices, fruits, and a sweeter and of choice, lots of ice if you are not freezing or refrigerating it. But let me warn you, the ice can dilute and wash out the taste, so in the case of ice, drink quickly. The spices used in making Sobolo does not only enhance the taste but also have great medicinal purposes alongside the fruits used. Ghana Sobolo and its PopularitySobolo is popular across several countries and continents; for example, in Nigeria, it is known as zobo and is made slightly different from how it is made here in Ghana. The Jamaicans and carribeans also have a similar drink they call " Sorrel drink"; named after the hibiscus flower. Sobolo has gained a lot of popularity in recent years because of its heavy addition to snacks at events, especially weddings. You can rarely find a local bar at a wedding or naming ceremony and not find Sobolo. It is also very common to find Sobolo being hawked in local markets, sold on the street, or in small stalls and containers in almost every town in Ghana.
Wash, peel, and cut pineapple into chunks, blend, and set aside.
In a pot, add your Sobolo leaves, lemon, skin of the pineapple, cloves, grains of selim, ginger, dried pepper and Prekese.
Add blended pineapple and the desired amount of water. I used about 3 cups of the medium-sized calabash
Cover and bring to a boil on medium heat for about 10 minutes.
Drain the Sobolo juice using a fine sieve or Cheesecloth. Some people prefer to drain their Sobolo twice or thrice for extra smoothness.
Allow it to cool completely before adding a sweetener. Sugar, honey, or another sweetener option can work but to keep it healthier using a fruit as a sweetener is ideal. You can check out this sugarless sobolo recipe.
Keep refrigerated or serve chilled.
Video
Notes
A Few Things to Keep in MindPineapple is usually used as the fruit in most recipes but in recent times, I have seen fruits like oranges, clementines, etc being used. The spices used in making Sobolo not only enhance the taste but also have great medicinal purposes alongside the fruits used. The most common spices used include grains of selim ( Whinteaa and Cloves ( Pepre) but other spices like grains of paradise, calabash nutmeg can be used. Although I like to stick to the basics. This recipe has Aidan fruit, known as prekese which is also a very important cooking ingredient in Ghana and is very beneficial to health. It added its flavor to the drink but was not too overpowering. This is completely optional, but you should give it a tryIf you want to keep your Sobolo for a very long time; I'm talking months, you will need to have it completely frozen. It can stay in the fridge for a couple of days or weeks but the addition of fruits can change the taste or make it go bad. I have personally not kept Sobolo in my fridge for more than 3-4 days because it definitely be gone by then.I hope you enjoyed this recipe, and you will be trying it. Don't forget to tag my Instagram if you do try it.
You could also check out our Ghana Palava Sauce Recipe if you enjoyed this recipe.Did you find this recipe helpful? Let me know what you think in the comments.
One Response