Ever
drank Zobo from a bottle and as you approached the bottom, you were
filled with dread because the bottom was filled with sand? Well you can
make your own Zobo. I'll show you how later in this post. For now,here's
a bit of a story.
(This is the only picture that wasn't from yesterday's Zobo making. This is from my earlier experiment when I was still perfecting the recipe. Yesterday,I peeled the rind of the orange and cut it into small pieces)
As a child, someone made this drink for me and I ended up being hospitalized. That experience alone scarred my Mom to the point it made her ban the drink in our house. Nobody made it for us, and we were expressly prohibited from drinking Zobo outside the house. Well,everything changed about two years ago when my aunt fearlessly taught me how to make Soya milk and gave the Zobo recipe after that. But, I didn't quite get it,so I turned to Dunni and some other Pros including my aunt for their own recipes until I perfected my own. It will excite you to know that I made bottles Zobo for my mother before coming back to Abuja in January,and she actually drank it. If you are Nigerian, you'll understand that feeling of joy.
As a child, someone made this drink for me and I ended up being hospitalized. That experience alone scarred my Mom to the point it made her ban the drink in our house. Nobody made it for us, and we were expressly prohibited from drinking Zobo outside the house. Well,everything changed about two years ago when my aunt fearlessly taught me how to make Soya milk and gave the Zobo recipe after that. But, I didn't quite get it,so I turned to Dunni and some other Pros including my aunt for their own recipes until I perfected my own. It will excite you to know that I made bottles Zobo for my mother before coming back to Abuja in January,and she actually drank it. If you are Nigerian, you'll understand that feeling of joy.
Knowing who I am, you wouldn't be surprised to know that I did a research on Zobo leaves aka dried roselle calyces, in order to justify the drink. The following is what I found out:
Botanically, it is known as the Roselle plant. It is a specie of the Hibiscus plant known as the Hibiscus Sabdariffa. It is known by different names around the World,so it is not limited to Nigeria alone.
Some
People use it as a diuretic, and others, as mild laxative. I like to
use it as a soothing drink for sunny days instead of indulging in
carbonated drinks. In many places like Senegal,people use the fresh
leaves to spice up meals like fish and rice. Our brothers in the Sudan
make drinks from the sorrel and in Trinidad and Tobago they make Karkade
Tea from the leaves. Goodness me,can you even imagine waking up to that
glorious aroma?
You might be happy to know that per 100g of Zobo leaves contains about 49 calories. It is very rich in calcium,magnesium,vitamins A and C. And,some swear that it has antioxidants,enzyme inhibitors,tartaric acid,maleic acid, and citric acids, and the fact that it eases constipation, bloating,weight loss and high blood pressure and so on.
INGREDIENTS:
1 full big cup of Dried Zobo/Sorrel leaves.
1 medium cup of Crushed Pineapples or thoroughly washed Pineapple back(optional,but a must for me).
2 peeled oranges/lemons with their juices. I prefer to press my juices the manual way myself,can't trust 'nobady', cholera and diarrhea is real y'all.
3 very big Thoroughly peeled ginger which you've already blended
1 tablespoonful of Zobo pepper. But the blended up Ghanaian/Cameroonian pepper in your Kitchen cabinet can serve if you like spicy Zobo which is totally optional.
Any Flavour. I used 1 Pineapple and 1 Cola flavour from all time favourite Jolly Jus.
How to:
The
night before you make your Zobo,wash the ginger. In a clean bowl,pour
water into it and add the ginger and let them soak till the next day
before peeling and blending it. This helps the back come off easily,and
gets out all the dust in hidden places
Carefully pick
out the dirt from the Zobo leaves. You'd be surprised what you find in
the midst of those leaves(I found some sticks,flowers and a bone in mine).
Wash
them in a bowl of water,carefully repeating this method and avoiding
the bottom of the water because that's were the sand and dust residue
is. Tip: don't bother about the Zobo essence you see as you wash the dust off the leaves.
Add
the pineapples, the ginger, the leaves to a big pot,add water (half of
the pot) and place on high heat. After 5 minutes,add the flavour. Allow
it to brew for 25 minutes on very high heat. Depending on how you like
it,you can add more water if you like it watery,or leave it if you like
yours thick.
Pour
out the items from the pot into a tiny teeth sieve,make sure you place a
clean container underneath the sieve. After the drink cools down,pour
out the drink into containers,and place them in the fridge.
Please,there is No need for sugar. Jolly Jus has got you covered.
Enjoy,and Serve as you want to.
The
general perception is that if you are pregnant or have low blood
pressure you should check with your doctor first before consuming this
drink.
Aside:
This
Foster Clark's was a little bit of a scam as far as i'm concerned. I
found Jolly Jus more effective than this expensive thing. I emptied it
into the pot and couldn't taste anything,my brothers and sisters it
vanished with the wind. I had to quickly add the two small sachets of Jolly Jus (which is N50 for one,while this thing costs N120).
Have a blessed,and fun filled Week,
Alexandra.
Currently Listening to: Rumour has It by Adele.
This blog post is based on Isaiah 60:1-3.
Alexandra.
Currently Listening to: Rumour has It by Adele.
This blog post is based on Isaiah 60:1-3.
If you are an avid Lonarian(Lily of Nigeria Reader), you'd know by now that I have borderline OCD, and as such my kitchen is clean,and there are no stones or sand in my drinks.
Affordable Zobo(a host of natural flavours have been perfected overtime) drinks to a wide range of clients in Abuja, on demand Only,a trial will convince you. If you have diabetes,don't worry,we have a bottle for you too love. Each bottle is made to suit a specific client's needs.
Hurry,book yours today.
For more details,please Email me,
Affordable Zobo(a host of natural flavours have been perfected overtime) drinks to a wide range of clients in Abuja, on demand Only,a trial will convince you. If you have diabetes,don't worry,we have a bottle for you too love. Each bottle is made to suit a specific client's needs.
Hurry,book yours today.
For more details,please Email me,
Ha! I almost forgot,these are the final products.
Much later,I did a pineapple smoothie and mixed it with that half bottle of Zobo and it was amazeballs!