 Bottles of Zobo | |
| Alternative names | Bissap, tsobo, sobolo, sorrel, wonjo, agua de jamaica, zobo |
|---|---|
| Serving temperature | hot or cold |
| Main ingredients | Roselle flowers, water, sugar |
| Variations | Ginger |
Hibiscus tea (served hot), orroselle juice (served cold), is aninfusion made from the crimson or deep magenta-colored calyces (sepals) of theroselle flower (Hibiscus sabdariffa). It is consumed both hot and cold and has a tart, strongcranberry-like flavor.
The drink made out of the flowers ofHibiscus sabdariffa has many regional variations and names: it is known asbissap inBurkina Faso,Côte d'Ivoire,Guinea andSenegal;[1][2]wonjo inthe Gambia;zobo inNigeria;sobolo inGhana;foléré,dabileni,tsobo,siiloo orsoborodo in different parts of Africa;[3]karkadé inEgypt,Sudan,Lebanon andItaly;sorrel in theCaribbean; andagua de Jamaica inMexico. Although generally called a "juice", due to its being sweetened and chilled, it is technically an infusion, and when served hot is called "hibiscus tea".[4][5][6]
In juice form, it is often taken refrigerated; Hibiscus or roselle juice is a dark, purple-red drink usually found cold in many West African countries and the Caribbean.[7][8] It tastes a bit grapey and a little like cranberry juice and can be served with mint leaves.[3] It can also be served with any flavouring of one's choice—sometimes with orange essence or ginger, pineapple juice, cloves, tea grass, vanilla, and many others. InGhana,Nigeria, andSenegal, roselle juice is served cold, while inEgypt, it is served warm.[4]
The roselle hibiscus used to make the tea likely originated in Africa, particulary Sudan.[9] In Africa, hibiscus tea is commonly sold in markets and the dried flowers can be found throughout West and East Africa. Variations on the drink are popular inWest Africa and parts ofCentral Africa. InSenegal,bissap is known as the "national drink of Senegal". Hibiscus tea is often flavored with mint or ginger in West Africa. In Ghana it is known as "sobolo", and "zobo" in Nigeria.[10][11]
Karkadé (Arabic:كَركَديهkarkadīhpronounced[kɑrkæˈdiːh]) is served hot or chilled with ice. It is consumed in some parts ofNorth Africa, especially inEgypt andSudan.[12] In Egypt and Sudan, wedding celebrations are traditionally toasted with a glass of hibiscus tea. On a typical street inCairo, many vendors and open-air cafés sell the drink.[12]
In Sudan, people use hibiscus tea, or karkadé, in folk medicine to treat many health conditions. Pharmaceutical researchers who have studied specimens from Sudan have suggested that its efficacy may relate to itsanthocynanins, chemicals that can boost immune responses and combat inflammation,diabetes, cancer, and viral infections.[13][14]
Agua de flor de Jamaica, also calledagua de Jamaica androsa de Jamaica, is popular in Mexico, Central America, and parts of South America and the Caribbean. It is one of several commonaguas frescas, which are inexpensive beverages typically made from fresh juices or extracts. Jamaica and otheraguas frescas are commonly found in taquerias or other Mexican restaurants. It is usually prepared by steeping thecalyces in boiling water, straining the mixture, pressing the calyces (to squeeze all the juice out), adding sugar, and stirring. It is served chilled, and in Jamaica, this drink is a tradition at Christmas, served withfruitcake orsweet potatopudding.[15]
InPanama, both the flowers and the drink are calledsaril (a derivative of the English wordsorrel). It is prepared by picking and boiling the calyces with chopped ginger, sugar,clove,cinnamon, andnutmeg. It is traditionally drunk aroundChristmas andChinese New Year.
In the English-speaking Caribbean, the drink, called sorrel, is made from the calyces, and it is considered an integral part of Christmas celebrations. TheCaribbean Development Company, aTrinidad and Tobago brewery, produces a SorrelShandy in which the tea is combined with beer.
In Americansoul food cuisine, hibiscus tea is included in a category of "red drinks" associated with West Africa.[16] Such red drinks, now usually carbonated soft drinks, are commonly served in soul food restaurants and atAfrican-American social events.[16]
InThailand, most commonly, roselle is prepared as a cold beverage, heavily sweetened and poured over ice, similar to sweetened fruit juices. Plastic bags filled with ice and sweetened 'grajeab' can be found outside most schools and in local markets. It is less commonly made into awine. It is sometimes combined withChinese tea leaves, in the ratio of 4:1 by weight (1⁄5 Chinese tea). The beverage is consumed inMalaysia,Cambodia andIndonesia as well.[17]
InItaly, hibiscus tea, known ascarcadè orkarkadè (from the Arabic wordكَرْكَديه[karkaˈdiːh]), is usually consumed hot, often with the addition of sugar andlemon juice or orange slices. First introduced fromEritrea, it was widely used as atea substitute when the country was hit bytrade sanctions for itsinvasion of Abyssinia. In other European countries, it is often used as an ingredient in mixed herbal tea (especially withmalva flowers orrose hips in the mix, to enhance colouring), and as such, it is more commonly used than recognized.
Clinical trials using teas, infusions or decoctions ofHibiscus sabdariffa calyces most consistently report modest reductions in systolic and diastolicblood pressure in pre- or mild-to-moderatehypertensive adults, with effects varying by dose, preparation and baseline pressure. Proposed mechanisms includeangiotensin-convertingenzyme inhibition, endothelial nitric-oxide–mediatedvasodilation, reducedaldosterone and milddiuresis, and acute beverage studies show transient improvements in vascular function.[18]
Evidence for other outcomes is mixed. Some tea trials report decreases intotal cholesterol,LDL-cholesterol andtriglycerides or increases inHDL-cholesterol, small improvements in fasting glucose or postprandial glycaemia, slight short-term weight loss in older adults,uricosuric and diuretic effects, and increases inantioxidant capacity with reductions in inflammatory mediators, whereas other studies are null. Tea preparations are generally well tolerated. The literature is limited by small samples, short durations and heterogeneous formulations and endpoints, and larger standardized trials are needed.[18] A 2013 study administeringHibiscus sabdariffa extract at 300 mg/kg per day for three months reported elevated liver enzymes, suggesting possiblehepatotoxicity at very high doses that exceed typical tea intake.[19]
Zobo is a localbeverage in Nigeria. It is made from driedhibiscus leaf and other ingredients.[20] The drink is commonly sold in restaurants and on roadsides.[21][22][23][24]
Zobo is made by boiling the hibiscus leaf alongsideginger,garlic for less than an hour.[20] It can be served hot or chilled . Other ingredients used in making zobo includenutmeg, cinnamon,cloves, lime, pineapple and artificial colours. The solids are removed with a sieve leaving behind the zobo juice. The roselle drink has flavour similar tocranberry juice and is ruby red in colour.[25][26][27]
The zobo is packaged in clean bottles which can be sealed to prevent spoilage.[28][29]
This is the major ingredient used in making zobo. It is a leafy vegetable similar to spinach that originates fromWest Africa.[30]Hibiscus sabdariffa, also known as roselle, is an annual herb that can be planted all year round especially between November and the April of the next year.[31]
Hibiscus sabdariffa is otherwise known as spinach dock, sour grass, or sour grabs.[32]
Zobo drink is also known as hibiscus tea, hibiscus drink and roselle drinks because the beverage drink is gotten from hibiscus leaves. Also it is known as local Chapman since other fruits and artificial colours are added. Due to the sour taste of zobo drink, it is referred to as sour tea as well.[33][34]
There are two types of preservatives used in production of zobo tea, the natural ones are the nutmeg, lime and cloves which keeps the drink fresh.[25][35]
Sodium benzoate at a concentration of 0.1% or mixture ofcitric acid andmagnesium sulfate are the chemical compounds used in preserving zobo drink for a longer time and make it carbon-free. The artificialpreservatives are neutralized withfruit juice in order to conserve the sour taste of the leaf during production.[36][37]
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