Sobolo

Don't Make These Mistakes

Do not throw the pineapple away — the skin and core are what make this sobolo rather than plain hibiscus tea.

Blend the ginger raw and add its juice at the end. Simmered ginger loses its edge.

Take the mint out before it sits overnight, or it turns the drink grassy.

Making Sobolo

Tap a step to highlight it, or turn on Cook Mode for large type and step-by-step focus.

1. Rinse the hibiscus thoroughly — it is dried in the open and needs it.

   Mark done

2. Bring the water to the boil with the pineapple skin and core and the cloves, then simmer 15 minutes.

   Mark done

3. Take off the heat, add the hibiscus, cover and steep 20 minutes.

   Mark done

4. Blend the raw ginger with 200 ml of cold water and strain the juice into a jug.

   Mark done

5. Strain the hibiscus liquid into the same jug, pressing the solids lightly.

   Mark done

6. Stir in the sugar and the lime juice while still warm.

   Mark done

7. Add the mint, cool, then refrigerate at least 3 hours.

   Mark done

8. Strain out the mint before serving and pour over ice.

   Mark done

Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.

Something wrong or unclear in this recipe? Report a problem with this recipe.

Why the Method Works

What distinguishes sobolo from every other hibiscus drink is the pineapple: the skins go into the steep and bring a fruity roundness that stops the hibiscus tasting thin and sharp. Ginger goes in raw and blended rather than simmered, which keeps its heat bright — cooked ginger goes flat and faintly soapy here.

After You've Cooked It

Refrigerate up to 5 days. Ghanaian street sobolo is sold in bottles and drunk very cold; it is better on day two.

Ingredient Swaps

• Lemon is the everyday swap for lime in this kind of dish — the acidity plays the same role even though the flavour is not identical.
• If you only have ground ginger, a quarter-teaspoon for each tablespoon of fresh is the ratio usually given; it tastes warmer and less bright than the fresh root.

Good With

• Kelewele
• Jollof rice and chicken
• Any hot afternoon

Questions and Answers

Sobolo Nutrition Facts

No nutrition figures are given for this recipe: they cannot be worked out reliably from its ingredient list (some ingredient lines cannot be read). Why some recipes have none.

Your notes on this recipe

Cooked this? Keep a note for next time

Your own rating out of 5

5 stars★ 4 stars★ 3 stars★ 2 stars★ 1 star★

Your note

Save note

Private to you: notes and ratings are saved in this browser only, are never sent anywhere, and other readers cannot see them.