Bissap is the national drink of Senegal and The Gambia. It has a floral, tangy and refreshing taste, that helps people cool off from the scorching African heat. The dry Hibiscus flowers are infused in boiling water with added mint and sweetened with sugar.
Bissap is the local language name of the Hibiscus sabdariffa plant (Roselle), a plant indigenous to Africa. In the Gambia and Senegal, we used the dry hibiscus flowers to make Bissap and the leaves to make a relish eaten with most dishes. In the Gambia, Hibiscus juice is called "Wonjo", Senegal "Bissap", Ghana "Sobolo" and Mexico "Aqua de Jamaica".
Back home in The Gambia, my beautiful grandmother grows hibiscus every rainy season, when the flowers are ripe we will harvest them, cut off the petal stones and sundry. Every year we have a batch of homegrown dry Hibiscus flowers. That is one of my favourite treasure memories, which my mother continues to follow up to date. My Mum makes the best Bissap, using simple accessible everyday ingredients you can get anywhere. This recipe is easy, foolproof and can be made in under an hour. Bissap is served in every naming ceremony when a child is born, and sold in school canteens and local markets. Bissap can also be made by steeping the Hibiscus flowers in water overnight, however, we prefer using hot infusion because it helps extract all the flavours from the Hibiscus flowers. This creates the most gorgeous union of the mint and the Bissap.
This recipe is the perfect drink to sit aside any Senegambian dish such as Fish Yassa (Yassa poisson) and Domoda. If you love this gorgeous refreshing drink then you will love her creamy twin the Baobab Juice (Bouye).
Ingredients
- Whole Hibiscus flower: This is the main ingredient for the recipe, I love getting the organic whole hibiscus flower. However, any hibiscus flowers will do.
- Mint: This is so important it balances out the tanginess of the Bissap so well without overpowering it.
- Sugar: This sweetened the Bissap and cut through the tanginess very well.
- Vanilla Bean Paste: It helps amplify the flavours.
- Water: The most important component of making Bissap, without water, there is no juice.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Step 1: Thoroughly rinse the dry Hibiscus flowers in cool water, until clean.
Step 2: Rinse the mint in cool water, until clean.
Step 3: Add water in a large saucepan, then add the Hibiscus flowers and mint.
Step 5: Strain the Juice in a large mixing bowl or pitcher. Add the sugar and vanilla, and mix until well combined. Set aside until cool. Then refrigerate until cold.
Step 4: Bring to a boil on medium heat for 20 minutes.
Step 6: Serve it over ice and garnish with fresh mint. Enjoy.
Substitutions
- Sugar - instead of Sugar you can use honey or any alternative sweetener if you are not allowed to consume sugar.
Storage
Store the Juice in a glass bottle or pitcher and store it in the fridge for a week, a maximum of two weeks.
Top Tip
Hot infusion by boiling the hibiscus and mint will create the most intensive taste, by extracting all the flavours of the hibiscus and mint. This is the secret to a refreshingly beautiful Bissap.
FAQ
Bissap is the local language name for the Hibiscus sabdariffa plant also known as Roselle. This is a plant indigenous to Africa. Bissap is also known as "Sorrel", "Wonjo", "Sobolo" and "aqua de Jamaica".
Yes, Bissap is The Gambia and Senegal's local name for Hibiscus.
It has a floral, tangy and slightly sour taste.
More Senegambian dishes
These are some of my favourite Senegambian dishes.
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Recipe
Bissap (Hibiscus Juice)
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Bissap is the national drink of Senegal and The Gambia. It has a floral, tangy and refreshing taste, that helps people cool off from the scorching African heat.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of dry Hibiscus flower (50grams)
- 30 grams of Mint.
- 2 litres of water (10 cups of water)
- 1 cup of Sugar (195grams)
- 1 Teaspoon of Vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- Add the hibiscus flowers and mint leaves to a large bowl and rinse over cool water until clean, drain the water and set aside.
- Now, add the hibiscus and mint to a large cooking pan. Next, add 2 litres of water. Place the cooking pan on the stove over medium-high heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Turn off the stove, and leave the Bissap to steep and cool down for 10 minutes. Next strain the Bissap into a large mixing bowl or pitcher using a mesh strainer.
- While the Bissap is still warm, add the sugar and vanilla to the Bissap and mix until combined. Taste the sweetness and adjust accordingly. Now refrigerate the Bissap until cold, serve over ice and garnish with fresh mint. Enjoy this delightful drink.
Notes
Bissap can be served either cold or hot. Make the Bissap the day before, refrigerate it overnight then serve it over ice. During the winter period, it can be served hot as tea.
Sweetness is needed to cut through the tanginess of the juice. The amount of sugar in the recipe balances the juice very well, however, you can either add more or reduce accordingly.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 30
- Category: Drink
- Method: Hot infusion
- Cuisine: African (Senegal & The Gambia)
Lea says
Made it for a school project and it was delightfully refreshing. Thank you!
Nobramarie says
That's amazing Lea, I am glad you like it.