Sorrel Drink with Hibiscus and Ginger
A deep red infusion made from dried hibiscus calyces (called 'sorrel' in Jamaica), fresh ginger, and spices, sweetened and well chilled. Bright and tangy, fragrant, refreshing.
A deep red infusion made from dried hibiscus calyces (called 'sorrel' in Jamaica), fresh ginger, and spices, sweetened and well chilled. Bright and tangy, fragrant, refreshing.
Bring your glass closer: here is the scarlet drink prepared for the year-end festivities. The dried sorrel flowers are steeped with grated ginger and a few cloves, left to rest a full night, then sweetened and chilled. It is red like a story that ends well, both tart and pungent. In the houses where I was told Anansi the spider at Christmastime, the glass of sorrel was never missing from the evening gathering.
- •Dried sorrel (hibiscus) calyces — two handfuls (color and acidity)
- •Fresh ginger — one piece (spicy warmth)
- •Cloves — a few (fragrance)
- •Cane sugar — to taste (balance)
- •Water — as needed (infusion)
Sorrel Drink with Hibiscus and Ginger
A deep red infusion made from dried hibiscus calyces (called 'sorrel' in Jamaica), fresh ginger, and spices, sweetened and well chilled. Bright and tangy, fragrant, refreshing.
Why this dish? While collecting Jamaican customs for Black Roadways, Beckwith documented festivals and their domestic rituals. Sorrel, a scarlet infusion of hibiscus calyces, is the drink of Christmas gatherings where, precisely, Anansi stories are told.
Bring your glass closer: here is the scarlet drink prepared for the year-end festivities. The dried sorrel flowers are steeped with grated ginger and a few cloves, left to rest a full night, then sweetened and chilled. It is red like a story that ends well, both tart and pungent. In the houses where I was told Anansi the spider at Christmastime, the glass of sorrel was never missing from the evening gathering.
Ingredients (period version)
- Dried sorrel (hibiscus) calyces — two handfuls (color and acidity)
- Fresh ginger — one piece (spicy warmth)
- Cloves — a few (fragrance)
- Cane sugar — to taste (balance)
- Water — as needed (infusion)
Ingredients
- Dried hibiscus flowers (sorrel) — 50 g (color and acidity)
- Fresh grated ginger — 30 g (spicy warmth)
- Cloves — 4 (fragrance)
- Cinnamon stick — 1 (optional) (fragrance)
- Cane sugar — 100 to 150 g (balance)
- Water — 1.5 L (infusion)
Method
- Bring water to a boil, remove from heat and add hibiscus, ginger, cloves (and cinnamon).
- Cover and steep off the heat for several hours, ideally overnight.
- Strain, pressing the flowers well to extract the color.
- Sweeten to taste and stir until dissolved.
- Serve very cold, over ice.
How it was made : Jamaican sorrel (Hibiscus sabdariffa) flowers around December, making it the quintessential Christmas drink. It was left to macerate for several days in jars; among adults, it was 'fortified' with a dash of island rum.
The contemporary twist : Serve it as a non-alcoholic spritz with sparkling water and an orange zest twist, clear ice: the deep red makes a spectacular festive aperitif.
Sources : Martha Warren Beckwith, Black Roadways: A Study of Jamaican Folk Life, 1929
Martha Beckwith · Charactorium