HOW TO MAKE THE PERFECT FOLERE DRINK

Published Apr 23, 2016

Updated Apr 26, 2017

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No, it is not red wine. It is a downright delicious drink made out of hibiscus petals, known as “Folere” in Cameroon, “Zobo” in Nigeria and “Sorrel” in Jamaica. I love having a large jar in my fridge so I can pass often by and pour myself a glass.

This red goodness made out of hibiscus sabdariffa (scientific name) is a priceless treat especially when blessed with a few ice cubes. It is an inexpensive drink that can be served to guests at home or at a party. Even better is the fact that good ole Folere has awesome nutritional benefits for you:

Relief from high blood pressure
Relief from cholesterol
It speeds metabolism to help in gradual weight loss
It helps cure liver disease and reduces the risk of cancer.
It does so much more! (Google is your friend).

So my friend, let me ask you this: what is in your cup???

Folere is naturally sour in taste so you might want to add in something sweet in it to give you the perfect blend of sweet and tart. In this recipe, I paired the petals with the peel of one pineapple. When I peel a pineapple for fruit salad or something else I use the bark to make Folere. It adds natural sweetness and flavour to the drink. Other natural things you could use to add flavour to your drink include, fresh ginger, cinnamon and lemon (note that lemon is sour too). Otherwise, you could buy bottled flavours such as strawberry, banana, pineapple, etc to boost the taste of your drink. The ~~possibilities~~ foleribilities are endless.

I usually used some of the flavours below together with sugar when I just started making this drink.

Now, I use whatever I have in my pantry. Some times like in this recipe, I throw in a red- coloured powder drink concentrate. This helps to enhance the red colour that oozes out of the leaves. Enough with my ‘folereology’. Let’s make some… but before then I want you to know that this drink is sometimes colloquially called, “Jesus juice” or “baron de Jesus”. Don’t ask me why.

FOLERE DRINK RECIPE

Prep: 10 mins
Inactive time: 6 hours
Yield: 1 large jar

Ingredients

2 cups of Folere
The peel of one pineapple (optional)
1 sachet of drink concentrate (e.g Kool Aid) and/or sugar to taste
1 teaspoon of flavour of choice (optional)

Directions

Put the folere and pineapple peel into a pot and pour in about 6 cups of water.

Use a spoon to push the petals in so they soak well in the water. Bring that to a boil.

After it boils, turn off the fire and let it sit in the pot covered for a good six hours. You could even leave that overnight then you strain it using a colander. Ermmm… the picture showing the strained juice in a jar has vanished. The devil is a laya!

After straining it, sweeten/flavour as desired and chill or pour over ice.

Folere is ready!