Welcome to the column to go to when you’re a broke, tired college student in a dorm. Today, I wanted to include an article about food from other countries that we in East Tennessee may not be familiar with. As you all may or may not know, we have a large international program here at ETSU. Recently, I interviewed a nice young lady from Northern Ghana, a country in West Africa. Her name was Samara, and I met her in the Culp Center on Campus, where she graciously allowed me to interview her about food from her home country. 

A food that particularly caught my attention is a drink called Sobolo. The drink has other names such as spiced hibiscus tea, roselle juice, bissap, wonjo, folere, dabileini, tsobo, zobo, sorrel and agua de Jamaica. Native to multiple African countries, it is also popular in various parts of Central American countries, such as Mexico and the Caribbean. It is a deep, purple-red tea made by seeping hot water over roselle flowers and is then spiced with ginger, cloves, selim pepper and sugar. Occasionally, black pepper and pineapple juice are added as well for extra flavor.

Photo of iced Sobolo. (Contributed/lowcarbafrica.com)

The taste is often described as being a mix of grape and cranberry juice. There are also hints of ginger and is noted as being both sweet and spicy. The drink can be served hot, cold or at room temperature, depending on the preference of who drinks it. There are also potential health benefits to drinking this type of tea. It is packed with antioxidants and can help lower blood pressure. It may improve blood fat levels and promote liver health. It can even help to manage weight and prevent cancer. This is also supported by Healthline, an American website that helps to provide health information.  

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