Bissap is the drink of Senegalese celebrations, Friday lunches and hot afternoons. It is made from dried hibiscus calyces, the same flowers that fill our pouches, steeped until the water turns a deep ruby red. Sweet, tart and served ice cold, it is the first thing many of our customers make when a pouch arrives.
Serves: 6 to 8 glasses · Time: 15 minutes, plus chilling
Ingredients
- 1 cup Tonton Jeb Dried Hibiscus Flowers
- 8 cups water
- ¾ to 1 cup sugar, to taste
- A handful of fresh mint leaves
- Optional: 1 teaspoon orange blossom water, a few drops of vanilla, or a slice of pineapple
Method
- Rinse the dried flowers quickly under cold water to remove any dust.
- Bring the water to a boil, add the flowers and mint, and boil for 5 minutes. The water will turn dark red almost immediately.
- Turn off the heat, cover, and let it steep for 10 minutes. Longer steeping gives a more tart, tannic drink.
- Strain through a fine sieve into a jug. Stir in the sugar while the liquid is still warm so it dissolves fully.
- Add the orange blossom water or vanilla if using. Taste and adjust the sugar.
- Chill for at least 2 hours. Serve over ice with a mint sprig.
Tips from the pantry
- Bissap keeps for 4 to 5 days in the fridge and gets slightly rounder in flavour by the second day.
- In a hurry? Tonton Jeb Bissap Syrup is the same drink already made: one part syrup to four or five parts cold water.
- Hibiscus Powder works for a quicker version: whisk a tablespoon into a glass of cold water and sweeten.
- The strained flowers are not waste. Blend them with a little sugar and lime for a tart hibiscus jam.
