Recipe Bissap Ginger Lemon Tea Infused With Hibiscus
Bissap is a refreshing, vitamin-rich drink made from the hibiscus flowers known as roselle or jamaica (pronounced ha-my-ka). It is considered the national drink of Senegal, which is where DIG planted its first garden in 2006. Read “The Idea That Started It All” (I will hyperlink the blog) to learn more about DIG’s beginnings in Senegal.
Hibiscus is grown in many DIG gardens, with both the leaves and the flowers enjoyed by farmers. This recipe can easily be adapted for individual tastes or seasonal ingredients. Try adding mint or mixing with pineapple juice. If you want to make a summer cocktail, we suggest mixing the juice with vodka, tequila, or rum, a splash of soda, and a squeeze of lime.
Ingredients
1/4 cup peeled and grated ginger 1/2 cup dried hibiscus flowers or 3/4 cup fresh hibiscus flowers 1/2 cup honey 6 cups water 8–16 dashes of DIG Bitters (optional, and available at DIG events)
Directions
- Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the grated ginger, hibiscus flowers, and honey. Continue stirring until the honey has dissolved.
- Let the mixture steep for 10–15 minutes.
- Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a large pitcher, discarding the solids.
- Add the lemon juice and the remaining 4 cups of clean water. Stir well until fully combined.
- If using DIG Bitters, add 8–16 dashes to the pitcher, adjusting to taste, or add 1–2 dashes to each glass before serving.
- Serve over ice and enjoy cold.
