Sorrel Drink Recipe (Chicha de Saril)

This delicious and refreshing Sorrel Drink should be part of your Christmas or New Year’s table. This recipe is quick and easy to make. You’ll only need 3 ingredients without counting water. Give it a try!

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Sorrel (hibiscus) or “flor de jamaica,” known in other countries, is the main ingredient, and it’s full of antioxidants.

In Panama, we call it “Saril,” which comes from the Jamaican sorrel drink.

Since I was little in my house, this drink is served for Christmas and New Year’s Eve parties. If we went to another place, we carried it, and it was always a hit.

As a child, my grandmother would make us peel it, and we always ended up with our hands painted red. Once my dad arrived with a 5-gallon bucket filled with flowers, you can imagine how long it took us to peel. 😂

December is the month when you find it in greater quantity. In January and February, you can still find it in some places.

In some countries, you can find dehydrated petals, and with that, they make the infusion.

Some versions of this drink have cloves, cinnamon, other spices, and even lemon or orange peels.

Today I’ll share with you how we make this refreshing Caribbean recipe using fresh sorrel at home and some special tips.

The preparation is simple. The first thing we are going to do is remove the seeds. For this, use a small knife.

In one hand, you grab the sorrel, and on the other, the knife and cut the top until it comes off (you can watch the video for more detail). It looks like a hat.

It may be a bit difficult to remove because some seeds are somewhat large, but it is just a matter of moving them to the sides, and voila.

Make sure you’re not cutting too high, either. That can make it challenging to get it out.

Once you are done with them, wash the flowers with plenty of water to remove any dirt. Now put it aside.

Cut a piece of ginger about 1” to 2” and peel it.

The amount of ginger is to taste, but I have found that for this amount, a 1” piece of ginger is more than enough to give it the perfect touch for this amount of sorrel.

Some people like that spice, others not much. So if it’s the first time, add a little and then add more. You must taste the ginger!

Cooking

Step 1: In the large pot, place the sorrel, ginger, and approximately 8 cups of water. Make sure it covers completely. Place over medium heat until the water boils. Lower the heat and let it simmer for 15 minutes.

You can also do this by putting the ginger with the water in the pot and letting it come to a boil. Once it boils, carefully add the sorrel. Lower the flame to medium heat, and let it simmer for 15 minutes.

Step 2: Turn off the stove, let it cool, and then strain it. Wait for about 10 minutes to cool.

After 10 minutes, in a large bowl, place the strainer, and with the spoon or a cup, strain in batches. Repeat until you finish with everything you have in the pot.

Step 3: To sweeten it, add water to lighten the liquid. At the moment, it is like a concentrate with a somewhat strong flavor.

Start by adding 1 cup of water, and you go testing. For this amount, I used two and a half cups of water.

Then proceed to sweeten to taste. It should be sweet but not like syrup. You can use between 1 to 2 cups of sugar.

This amount makes about 3 liters of sorrel. Store in the fridge once it’s cooled. It’ll last about a week.

You can serve it with ice or cold. It’s ready to enjoy!