Zobo Hibiscus Lemonade

Zobo, which translates to hibiscus flower from the Hausa language in my father's homeland of Nigeria, is indigenous to West Africa and enjoyed throughout the African diaspora in many ways and under names including sorrel, roselle, and jamaíca. And zobo drink is an ice-cold hibiscus tea made with superfood roots, spices, and juices resulting in a refreshing drink packed with antioxidants.

Check out my homemade zobo drink recipe to get the full experience!

Quick & Easy - You don't need any special tools or techniques to make this recipe for hibiscus flower lemonade at home so it's absolutely beginner friendly.

Simple Ingredients - Nothing fancy here, just whole food ingredients--most of which you probably have in your kitchen already! And the results are much better than what you'll get at Starbucks or Chipotle.

Hibiscus Flavor - This iced hibiscus infusion lemonade is part homemade hibiscus refresher and part superfood lemonade. You'll taste earthy and tart notes from the hibiscus flowers plus warming spices and the perfect balance of sweet and sour lemonade.

In case you're new here, me and hibiscus go together real bad, so I have tons of fun hibiscus recipes like my hibiscus ice cream, sweet tea with hibiscus, hibiscus ginger martini, and even homemade hibiscus ginger beer. And don't forget the hibiscus barbecue sauce for grilling season!

Dried Hibiscus Petals (Zobo) create the signature deep purply red color and flavor backbone of this floral lemonade drink. Use food grade organic hibiscus flowers, which I typically find at African or Mexican markets or in the global section of many American grocery stores.

Turmeric and Ginger add warming flavor and an antioxidant boost that turn this drink into a superfood lemonade. I recommend using fresh ginger and turmeric roots but you can also use powdered versions, if needed.

Lemon Juice from fresh lemons is best for the most vibrant zesty flavor though concentrated lemon juice provides similar taste.

Still or Sparkling - As with any good lemonade recipe, we'll add plenty of water. If you want to make your hibiscus ginger lemonade more fun, you can do half still water and half sparkling water or club soda.

Sweetener - I use honey in this recipe because I like the subtle floral and herbal flavor notes that it adds, though you can use maple syrup, cane sugar or whatever kind of sweetener you like to make it vegan or simply suit your preference.

My ginger honey syrup and turmeric honey syrup also complement the flavors in this drink perfectly. Or if you want to be a bit extra, sorrel simple syrup! They're all easy to make and keep on deck for making drinks just like this.

Step One: Steep the hibiscus, turmeric, ginger, and clove in freshly boiled water until cooled. (Photo One)

Pro Tip #1: You can steep the zobo tea overnight. If you're familiar with hibiscus drinks like sorrel, you know the longer you let the ingredients steep, the stronger the flavor and color and the same applies here! You'll have great taste as soon as the water has cooled but can certainly steep for longer.

Step Two: Strain out the solid ingredients using a slotted spoon or a mesh strainer. (Photo Two)

Step Three: Mix up the lemon juice and honey until uniform. (Photo Three)

Step Four: Mix the lemon juice and honey mixture into the hibiscus tea. (Photos Four and Five)

Step Five: Chill then serve cold over plenty of ice. (Photo Six)

Pro Tip #2: I recommend fully chilling the lemonade before serving to give the flavors time to fully marinate and prevent the taste from being watered down by too much melted ice.