How To Make Zobo Drink: Zobo, otherwise known as African Hibiscus Tea, is a very common drink that can easily be said to be the most popular comfort drink for Africans. In Ghana, Gambia, and Senegal, it is known as sobolo or bissap juice. In the Caribbean, many refer to it as a sorrel drink, and others generally call it a hibiscus drink or hibiscus tea. Zobo drink is typically made by boiling dry Zobo leaves or hibiscus petals.
Want to make this simple drink classic? Add fresh fruits for refreshing flavors. There is absolutely no need to add loads of sugar to your Zobo drink when you can use fruits instead.
How To Make Zobo Drink
Ingredients
- Hibiscus leaves (Zobo leaves)
- Pineapple
- Cucumber
- Ginger
- Oranges
- Cloves
Instructions
- Start out by placing your zobo leaves in a bowl of water to wash off any sand in them. Take the leaves out as soon as you can and place them in a clean bowl. Peel the skin of the wash pineapple but don't throw it away, we'll be cooking it alongside the zobo leaves later.
- Now, cut the pineapples in large chunks and set aside. Wash and cut the cucumber and ginger too. For the oranges, cut them in quarters and peel off the back and take out all the seeds. Ensure that you take away all the seeds from the oranges, or you would end up with a bitter zobo and that's not what you want.
- Now, place the zobo leaves in a pot along with the pineapple skin, pineapple chunks, cucumber chunks, ginger, oranges, and ground cloves. Now, add enough water to cover the pot.
- Stir the ingredients and cover to cook to medium to low heat for 25 to 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, take it off the heat and fish out the pineapple chunks, the oranges, and the ginger. Place them in a blender and blend till completely smooth.
- When the zobo is cool, place a sieve over a bowl and start sieving the zobo drink into the bowl. For the blended purée, place a clean juice cloth on the sieve and pour the purée into it. Squeeze tightly after wrapping the cloth up to release as much juice as possible into the zobo drink. You can add some fresh fruit juice if you want to. It will help sweeten it up.
- You can choose to use sugar if you want or honey. Whatever works for you. Place your zobo drink in glass jars on plastic containers and store in the fridge till when you're ready to drink it. It can stay in the fridge for up to 7 days and in the freezer for as long as 2-3 months.
- Zobo is very healthy and is a perfect substitute for soda and all other sorts of drinks. It's packed loaded with lots of vitamins and is best served cold.
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Benefits of Zobo drink
1. It can help you reduce blood pressure: Managing blood pressure is a pain in the neck with various medications that have harmful side effects. You can also incorporate essential nutrition that helps.
2. Zobo drink is excellent for managing blood sugar. This helps you control blood sugar with ease. Due to the soothing effect of the hibiscus plant, this drink is linked to effectively reducing menstrual cramps. Feel free to enjoy it, especially during that time of the month.
3. According to research, hibiscus can lift a bad mood, as well as help with depressive symptoms. You can take a chilled glass of Zobo drink on a bad day and watch how you relax afterward. Don’t take my word for it, try it.
YouTube Video Credit:
Zeelicious Foods
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