To not be confused with the tart leafy green that goes by the identical title, sorrel is what Jamaicans name hibiscus. Right here, the sepals of the deep pink flowers are steeped with soul-warming spices and sugar to make a heady, floral beverage.
Featured in “From Jamaica to Senegal, This Crimson Infusion Reigns Supreme.”
Caribbean Sorrel
Caribbean Sorrel Recipe (Spiced Hibiscus Water)
Yield: makes 5 cups
Time:
1 hour, quarter-hour
Components
- 2 cups frivolously packed dried hibiscus flowers
- 3 cinnamon sticks (ideally Vietnamese or Indonesian)
- 1 tsp. entire cloves
- 2⅓ cups sugar
Directions
- In a medium pot set over medium-high warmth, toast the cinnamon sticks and cloves, swirling continually, till aromatic, about 1 minute. Pour in 4¼ cups of water and the sugar and boil till the sugar dissolves. Stir within the hibiscus, then flip off the warmth and canopy to steep till deep pink, not less than 45 minutes.
- Pressure the sorrel, discarding the solids, and put aside to chill to room temperature. To serve, pour ¾ cup of the syrup right into a glass over ice, then add chilly water, seltzer, or ginger beer to style. Leftover syrup will be saved in a jar within the fridge for as much as 2 weeks.
