How to Make Zobo Drink That Is Not Bitter

Zobo is at every naming ceremony, wedding and Sunday gathering, and it is one of the easiest Nigerian things to make badly.

Bitter, dull brown, or thin. All three come from the same mistake.

One drink, a whole continent

Zobo in Nigeria. Bissap in Senegal and Mali. Sobolo in Ghana. Karkade in Sudan and Egypt. Sorrel in the Caribbean.

Same dried hibiscus petals, and everybody is certain their version is correct.

The mistake: boiling it

Bring the water to the boil, add the petals, then take it off the heat. Steep ten to fifteen minutes. Do not boil the petals.

Hard boiling pulls out tannins, which makes zobo bitter and dulls the crimson to brown. Steeping gives colour and tartness without bitterness.

The method

1. Rinse the petals. They are sun-dried, so wash properly.
2. Boil two litres of water. Take it off the heat.
3. Add about a cup of petals for a strong brew.
4. Add aromatics while it steeps: ginger, cloves, pineapple skin.
5. Steep ten to fifteen minutes, covered.
6. Strain, sweeten, chill thoroughly.
7. Serve very cold. Room-temperature zobo is a disappointment.

What to add

• Ginger is close to compulsory.
• Cloves for warmth. Three or four, not a handful.
• Pineapple skin for sweetness and body.
• Uda or prekese for a deeper traditional version.

Sweetening it

Zobo is tart and takes more sweetener than people expect. Sugar is standard, honey adds depth.

Sweeten after straining and taste when cold. Chilling flattens sweetness.

Keeping it

Three to four days refrigerated in a sealed bottle. No preservatives, so make what you will drink. For a party, make it the night before — it is better on day two.

Store the petals airtight and away from light. Light fades the colour, and faded petals make brown zobo.

We ship in 250g, 500g and 1kg. The 1kg is the party size.