Recipes · 28 October 2026
Zobo, three ways: hot, iced and sparkling
Every Calabar home has its own zobo. Ours started as a family recipe and slowly became the most poured herbal on the wall. Here is how we make it three ways.
Start with good hibiscus
Look for deep red, whole calyces that snap rather than bend. Dusty or brown hibiscus makes a flat, muddy drink. We buy ours dried from the north, where it is grown in long rows beside the millet.
Rinse the calyces quickly in cold water to wash off any dust, then drain. That is all the preparation they need.
Hot, in a pot
For one pot of four cups, use a small handful of hibiscus, about 12 grams, three thin slices of fresh ginger, four cloves and a strip of pineapple peel. Pour over a litre of boiling water and cover.
Steep for six minutes, no longer, or it turns sharp. Strain, then sweeten lightly with honey. This is the zobo cooler we serve in the tea room, and it is lovely on a rainy July afternoon.
“Six minutes, no longer. Hibiscus turns sharp if you forget it.”
Iced, in a jug
Make the hot version twice as strong, with 24 grams of hibiscus to a litre of water, and let it cool on the counter. Pour over a tall glass packed with ice, so the melting ice brings it back to the right strength.
Add a few mint leaves and a slice of lime. Keep a jug in the fridge for up to three days.
Sparkling, for celebrations
Make a syrup by simmering the strong zobo with sugar, one part sugar to two parts zobo, for ten minutes. Cool it and keep it in a clean bottle in the fridge.
To serve, pour two fingers of syrup into a flute and top with cold sparkling water. It is our non alcoholic toast at bridal showers and naming ceremonies, and everyone can drink it.
In short
- Choose deep red, whole hibiscus
- Hot: 12 g to a litre, six minutes, covered
- Iced: brew double strength and pour over ice
- Sparkling: one part sugar to two parts zobo, topped with soda water
Marian Road, Calabar
Taste it at the counter
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