Name: Sobolo Punch
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Ingredients: 1 navel orange, plus orange slices for garnish; 10 allspice berries; 4 star anise pods; 2 cinnamon sticks; 2 whole cloves; ½ pineapple (about 1½ pounds), cut into ¼-inch chunks with the skin on; 2 (5-inch) pieces of fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely grated; 8 ounces dried hibiscus flowers (sorrel) or 8 ounces hibiscus tea bags; 1½ cups sugar, or to taste; 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste

by: Eric Adjepong

Jump to Recipe

Cook Time

2 hours 30 minutes

Prep Time

15 minutes

Yield

8 cups

@CHEFERICADJEPONG

“This magenta-colored punch made from dehydrated hibiscus flowers is the signature drink that connects the people of African descent around the world.”

Total Time

2 hours 30 minutes

Prep Time

15 minutes

Yield

8 cups

summary

This punch is called so many different things: sobolo, sorrel, zobolo, red drink, flor de Jamaica. My take has warm spices such as cinnamon and cloves, which you would commonly see in Ghana. I also like the punch of ginger, but you can use a little less if you’d like. Dried hibiscus is pretty easy to find at most supermarkets and grocery stores in the tea aisle as loose-leaf tea.

ingredients

1 navel orange, plus orange slices for garnish
10 allspice berries
4 star anise pods
2 cinnamon sticks
2 whole cloves
½ pineapple (about 1½ pounds), cut into ¼-inch chunks with the skin on
2 (5-inch) pieces of fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely grated
8 ounces dried hibiscus flowers (sorrel) or 8 ounces hibiscus tea bags
1½ cups sugar, or to taste
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste

directions

Using a vegetable peeler, peel the orange to create wide strips of rind, then juice the orange, keeping peel and juice separate. Set aside.
In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, combine the allspice, star anise, cinnamon sticks and cloves. Toast, stirring often, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the pineapple, ginger, and orange zest. Cook, stirring, until the zest is fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add 7 cups of water and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes. Add the hibiscus and turn off the heat. Cover the pot and let steep for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
Set a fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl and pour the hibiscus mixture through. Press on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible, then discard the solids. Add the reserved orange juice, the sugar and the lime juice and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Cover and refrigerate until completely cool, at least 2 hours.
To serve, pour into glasses or a punch bowl filled with ice and garnish with orange slices.