Toronto·HOLIDAY EATS

Not a Caribbean Christmas without traditional drink sorrel

Host Dwight Drummond loves a glass of sorrel with a slice of rum cake.

It's a refreshing, delicious drink that is primarily consumed around the holidays

Holiday eats: Caribbean sorrel

9 years ago
Duration 0:52
Dwight Drummond shares his recipe for the Caribbean drink sorrel.

CBC Toronto reporters share their favourite Christmas treats in our Holiday Eats series.

It would not be a Caribbean Christmas without sorrel.

It's a refreshing, delicious drink that is primarily consumed around the holidays.

Sorrel is a plant and the dried version my wife uses can be found in Caribbean, Asian and African stores. My wife is from the Spice Isle Grenada and uses cloves, cinnamon and ginger to flavour the drink.

I've tasted it from friends from pretty much all of the Caribbean islands and Guyana. I even found it in Mexico. I love it with a slice of rum cake.

Sorrel

  • 1.5 lb sorrel 
  • 8 cups water
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 4 cloves
  • thick slice of ginger
  • sugar to sweeten

Add dried sorrel, ginger, cinnamon and cloves to pot of water.

Boil for 30 minutes, let mixture cool then strain and sweeten with sugar to taste.

Serve chilled.

Add a shot of rum for the adult version.