Sobolo

Method

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Chef’s Tips

• 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.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• 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.
• A quarter-teaspoon of ground ginger per tablespoon of fresh is the standard ratio if you are working from the spice rack rather than a fresh root.

Pairing Suggestions

• Kelewele
• Jollof rice and chicken
• Any hot afternoon

Storage & Reheating

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

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.