Senegalese Bissap: Chilled Hibiscus Cooler with Fresh Mint and Ginger

Rinse the dried hibiscus flowers under cold water and pick out any stray twigs or grit.

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 2 cups dried hibiscus flowers (bissap or jamaica)
• 8 cups water, divided
• 2-inch piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup sugar, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon orange blossom water or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large handful fresh mint leaves, plus sprigs for garnish
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 orange, thinly sliced
• Plenty of ice, to serve

Instructions

1. Rinse the dried hibiscus flowers under cold water and pick out any stray twigs or grit.
2. Bring 4 cups of the water to a rolling boil with the sliced ginger, then take the pot off the heat.
3. Add the hibiscus flowers, stir once, cover and steep for 20 minutes. Longer than that pulls out a chalky tannic edge, so watch the clock.
4. Strain the infusion through a fine sieve into a large pitcher, pressing the flowers gently to release the liquid without forcing through sediment.
5. Stir in the sugar while the liquid is still hot so it dissolves completely, then taste — bissap should be bracingly tart with just enough sweetness to round it out.
6. Add the remaining 4 cups of cold water, the lime juice and the orange blossom water, and stir well.
7. Drop in the handful of mint leaves and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, until thoroughly cold. The mint infuses slowly and gently in the cold, which keeps it fresh rather than stewed.
8. Fill glasses with ice, pour the bissap over, and garnish each with a mint sprig and an orange slice.
9. Bissap is the national drink of Senegal, poured at every ceremony, family gathering and Ramadan iftar, and sold ice-cold in knotted plastic sachets by vendors along Dakar's streets. The same hibiscus calyx travels under other names across the world — agua de jamaica in Mexico, karkade in Egypt, sorrel in the Caribbean — a quiet map of the Atlantic trade routes. Senegalese versions are distinguished by their generous use of mint and a whisper of orange blossom or vanilla, which softens the flower's sharp cranberry tartness into something floral and endlessly refreshing in August heat.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 90 kcal
• Protein: 0g
• Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 23g
• Fiber: 0g
• Sugar: 21g
• Sodium: 10mg