Your Bissap, Our Sobolo

Going to the market with mum during some weekends was a very interesting yet annoying experience for me😌. I'd see some interesting stuff like the lighting shoe (which was "THE THING" those days) and she'd say no😩. How can you say no to stuff that could make me the coolest kid at school!! I mean who does that😭😭. My mum was that person apparently😑. We'd pass through "lungu lungu" from the cool stuff area straight to the "boring area" the foodstuff arena to buy some spices and veggies. Mum always bought some bissap flowers to prepare a special drink she sold weekly to the students schooling around our area. Man.....they surely loved her sobolo.

Sobolo is a natural drink made from rosella flowers (bissap). It originates from the Northern Region of Ghana and is found in other countries such as Burkina Faso and Nigeria. It has different names in other countries where it is enjoyed. The Burkinabes call it Bissap, Ghanaians Sobolo, and Nigerians Zobo.

soaked bissap flowers

It is prepared by boiling the washed bissap flowers with chopped ginger until the much desired dark reddish colour is obtained. The solution then then separated from the flowers and chopped ginger with a sieve and allowed to cool. Sugar, pineapple juice or flavors can be added to the taste of the consumer and then refigerated before serving.