- In Trinidad, Christmas is Parang! (video)
- Trinidad Black Cake (recipe)
- Carmen’s Jamaican Ginger Beer (recipe)
- Sorrel Drink (recipe & video)
- Trinidad Pastelles (recipe) now with Delicious Vegan Option!
- Punch de Creme (recipe)
- Trinidad Paime (recipe)
- Jamaican Sorrel Rum Punch (recipe & video)
- Tropical Xmas Holiday Tablescapes
- QUICK GINGER BEER Recipe at Epicurious.com
Christmas in Trinidad is a diverse multicultural affair. Not just for the Christian population, but also through the secular participation of the nation at large through the enjoyment of our local christmas songs (called parang) and especially the creation and consumption of our traditional Christmas foods. No Christmas in Trinidad would be complete without some rum-soaked black cake cold thick Punch de Creme, piping hot pastelles or a cold refreshing glass of sorrel.
Sorrel, made from the sepals, of the sorrel flower is fruity and fragrant. I have fond memories of sitting at my aunt’s feet as a child, helping her to handpick the flowers. The seed of the sorrel is covered with fine prickly hairs that eventually find their way into the pads of your fingers. They are not painful but definitely annoying! A friend once told me that the petals are quite delicious raw with some salt. At first I thought she was insane but once I tried it I was hooked.
Similar in taste to hibiscus tea, sorrel becomes even more heavenly with the addition of rum 
Made properly your sorrel should be thick and syrupy. Fear not, just dilute it with some cold water or club soda when serving.
Recipe:
1 cup dried sorrel petals
1 tablespoon cloves
piece of dried orange peel
Brown sugar syrup (1 cup water + 1 lb brown sugar boiled together)
Dark rum, optional
1. Boil 2 quarts of water.
3. Once water is boiling, add sorrel, orange peel and cloves.
4. Boil for 30 minutes.
5. Cover tightly and steep overnight.
6. Strain and add sugar syrup and rum (optional) to taste.
7. Chill and serve.
Makes 4 servings
UPDATE (25/12/12)! Watch me make sorrel on the 2nd episode of “Sweet Han’: Caribbean Cooking with Sarina”…
This recipe is an exclusive TriniGourmet original. Please do not share it or post it to your site without crediting TriniGourmet.com. A link back to our site is not necessary but always appreciated
This post was originally published November 22, 2006. It has been updated twice since then.
*Sorrel flowers are harvested around November and December. For those not in the Caribbean they can be purchased pre-packaged from Caribbean or African stores.
Sorrel for sale in a Trinidadian market: credit unknown
About Sarina
Passionate foodie, founder of Trinigourmet and Caribbean Lifestyle Maven. Author of "Glam By Request: 30+ Easy Caribbean Recipes"
This month marks the third installment of my “CookALong” series where a prominent (usually) Caribbean personality follows one of my recipes, and sometimes throws in a few of their own This week however I’m shaking things up a bit by ...
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Sorrel is a very refreshing drink. i will like to know how do you make a sorrel syrup for snow cones.
Dear Ellie, the key to making a syrup is to increase the ratio of sugar to water. Everything else remains the same. Best Wishes.
Sorrel is a very refreshing drink. i will like to know how do you make a sorrel syrup for snow cones.
Dear Ellie, the key to making a syrup is to increase the ratio of sugar to water. Everything else remains the same. Best Wishes.
The more i learn about the Sorrel flower the more interested I am in it. I've been doing a ton of research on organic ingredients and remedies to replace the commercial drugs on the market now because none of them are 'cures', just painkillers to keep you buying more from the big companies. My family has a long history of high blood pressure and my wife and kids suffer from extreme cases of eczema. my 10 month old son has the worst of it. I've done extensive research on manuka honey also and am planning on making my own remedies using manuka honey and sorrel. This is a great blog and i'm glad i ran across it to experiment with sorrel.
The more i learn about the Sorrel flower the more interested I am in it. I've been doing a ton of research on organic ingredients and remedies to replace the commercial drugs on the market now because none of them are 'cures', just painkillers to keep you buying more from the big companies. My family has a long history of high blood pressure and my wife and kids suffer from extreme cases of eczema. my 10 month old son has the worst of it. I've done extensive research on manuka honey also and am planning on making my own remedies using manuka honey and sorrel. This is a great blog and i'm glad i ran across it to experiment with sorrel.
Christmas time or not, sorrel is a year round favorite for me…minus de rum, of course. Great recipe, thanks!
Christmas time or not, sorrel is a year round favorite for me…minus de rum, of course. Great recipe, thanks!
Hi
I’m in the northern province of Cameroon, W. Africa and we make a drink here we call follere which is made from the flowers of the sorrel plant.? I’m relatively new to this product so can someone confirm that this is the same plant? Anyway, we make a great juice out of it and I’m working with local Cameroonians to possibly export the flowers and/or the juice. Thanks. stevesmith795@gmail.com
Hi
I’m in the northern province of Cameroon, W. Africa and we make a drink here we call follere which is made from the flowers of the sorrel plant.? I’m relatively new to this product so can someone confirm that this is the same plant? Anyway, we make a great juice out of it and I’m working with local Cameroonians to possibly export the flowers and/or the juice. Thanks. stevesmith795@gmail.com
Conventionally grown cut flowers are often raised in environments that are unhealthy and abusive to workers. Responsible alternatives have been difficult, if not impossible, to find — until now.
roses
I love Sorry drink.
[New Post] Sorrel Drink (recipe) – www.trinigourmet.com/index.php/so…
[...] but nice art studio/space where art gets exhibited and films get shown… and they have awesome Sorrel [...]
Peace of The Infant Jesus! As a 1st. generation Trinidadian-American these savory delights are a very necessary component of CHRISTMAS! A ChoirSister made Sorrel w/WRAY & NEPHEW OVERPROOF RUM as she hails from Jamaica! Definitely added an additional element to our West-Indian Christmas!
I agree Patricia, it’s so important to keep the cultural heritage of our region strong and alive no matter where life and travel takes us
Thanks for your comment! 
I never knew that you could put rum in sorrel. I learnt something new today
Oh yes, and it’s quite good! I recommend a good dark rum
It adds a silky warmth 
Thanks for commenting!
This sounds so interesting! We only have sorrel leaves from the herb plant – can one make the drink from the leaves or must it be strictly from the flowers?
Thank you!
Dear Suzanne,
The drink must be made from the sepals of the sorrel flower. It goes by different names throughout the world but is not related to the sorrel herb that is popular in Europe. You may know it as roselle
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roselle_%28plant%29
Hope that helps!
[...] unnecessary but there’s truly nothing better on a wintry London night. Plus here we have Sorrel, an equally tasty fruity flower mixed with cinnamon, cloves and a shot of rum. And Christmas [...]
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