Jamaican recipe
How to make Sorrel
The whole island
A deep red drink made by steeping dried hibiscus flowers (called sorrel in Jamaica) with fresh ginger, allspice and cloves, sweetened and served cold. It is Jamaica's Christmas drink. Many families also add a splash of rum; the version below has none.
Ingredients
- 60 g dried sorrel (hibiscus) flowers
- 5 cm piece of fresh ginger, grated
- 6 allspice berries and 4 cloves
- 2 litres water
- 150 to 250 g sugar, to taste
- The juice of 1 lime
Method
- Rinse the dried flowers well in cold water.
- Bring the water to the boil in a large pot, add the flowers, ginger, allspice and cloves, then take it off the heat.
- Cover and leave to steep for at least 8 hours, or overnight, in a cool place or the fridge.
- Strain through a fine sieve, pressing the flowers to get all the juice. Stir in sugar to taste and the lime juice.
- Chill and serve over ice. It keeps for a few days in the fridge.
Made it at home? Tick it off and it goes into your kitchen passport.
The drink has African roots, and the ginger that gives Jamaican sorrel its bite is thought to be a Chinese Jamaican addition.
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