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Zobo (hibiscus drink)

A deep ruby drink of dried hibiscus flowers simmered with ginger and cloves, then chilled. It is zobo in Nigeria, bissap in Senegal and much of West Africa, and sorrel in Jamaica, where it is a Christmas drink. Tart like cranberry, warm from the spice, sweetened to your taste.

Light effort60 minAbout 2 quarts (2 liters)

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (about 60 g) dried hibiscus flowers (sold as zobo leaves, bissap, sorrel or flor de jamaica)
  • 10 cups (2.4 liters) water
  • 2-inch (5 cm) piece of fresh ginger, sliced
  • 6 whole cloves
  • Peel and core of 1 pineapple, rinsed (optional)
  • Sugar or honey to taste, starting with 1/3 cup (70 g)
  • Juice of 1 orange or 2 limes (optional)

Method

  1. Rinse the dried hibiscus in a sieve under cold water to wash off dust.
  2. Put the hibiscus, water, ginger, cloves and pineapple peel, if using, in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes.
  3. Take the pot off the heat, cover, and leave it to steep for at least 30 minutes, or until it cools. Longer steeping gives a deeper, more tart drink.
  4. Strain through a fine sieve into a jug, pressing on the flowers, and discard the solids.
  5. Stir in the sugar or honey while the drink is still warm, taste, and add more a little at a time. Add the orange or lime juice.
  6. Chill and serve cold, over ice if you like.

Notes

  • Hibiscus stains cloth, wooden spoons and some countertops; wipe spills quickly.
  • Start with less sugar than you think and sweeten by the glass; it is easier to add than to take away.
  • Keep it covered in the refrigerator and drink it within four days.
  • The strained flowers can be simmered a second time with fresh ginger for a lighter batch.

Plants in this recipe

Be careful of

Cautions

  • InteractionHibiscus drinks can change how the body handles some medicines. In a small study of healthy volunteers, a Sudanese hibiscus drink (karkadi) sharply lowered blood levels of the malaria medicine chloroquine, and in another, zobo sped up the body's clearance of acetaminophen. If you take any medicine regularly, ask a pharmacist before making this a daily drink, and take medicines with water.

Sources

  1. Significant reduction in chloroquine bioavailability following coadministration with the Sudanese beverages Aradaib, Karkadi and Lemon (J Antimicrob Chemother, 1994) (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 22, 2026
  2. Effect of zobo drink (Hibiscus sabdariffa water extract) on the pharmacokinetics of acetaminophen in human volunteers (Eur J Drug Metab Pharmacokinet, 2004) (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 22, 2026

Reviewed September 22, 2026.