The Sorrel plant is related to the Hibiscus. It's formal name is Hibiscus sabdariffa, it may also go by the name Roselle. In different countries of the Caribbean region, the recipe changes slightly. All are made from the sepals and calyces, but the spices used vary. In Jamaica ginger and rum are added. In Trinidad, cloves and bay leaf are added.
Here in St. Kitts you begin to see the sepals in stores beginning near the end of November. A deep reddish purple color, they are sold by the pound. You can see them on the plate in the picture below.
There are health benefits ascribed to sorrel. The drink is very high in vitamin C, and also contains niacin, riboflavin, calcium, and iron. Herbal practitioners prescribe it for lowering blood pressure, it is said to reduce the viscosity of the blood.
I just enjoy drinking it. Although it is a plus that it has all that good stuff in it. It has become a tradition for us since we have been here. It doesn't seem like Christmas anymore without it! I have included the recipe we use in St. Kitts below.
Sorrel Drink
A simple drink made during the Christmas holiday in St. Kitts with a fruity and slightly flowery taste.1 pound of sorrel sepals
a few strips of orange peel
1 inch piece of ginger grated
1 or 2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
1 gallon boiling water
sugar to taste
rum (optional )
Boil the gallon of water. Wash the sorrel, remove calyces and place into jar big enough to hold the gallon of water. Add the ginger, orange peel, cinnamon, and whole cloves. Pour boiling water over the mixture. When cool, cover and leave to steep for 2 days(at room temperature) to 1 week (in the refrigerator). Strain the mixture. Add sugar to taste. I prefer to use simple syrup as sugar doesn't readily dissolve in cold liquid.
I make a simple syrup using 1 cup sugar to 1 cup water. Place in sauce pan, boil for 1 minute, allow to cool before using. Add it gradually to the sorrel tasting between additions until the sweetness is to your liking.
Add rum if desired. I add it in a 1:3 ratio. One part rum to two parts sorrel.
Serve over ice.
The finished drink has a beautiful red color. The cinnamon, ginger, orange and cloves make it taste like Christmas. The sorrel sepals give it a unique taste I can't compare to anything else. It is a very refreshing beverage. I hope you'll give it a try!
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One of the first that comes to mind is the Breadfruit. Breadfruit was brought to St. Kitts in the 18th century from Asia, as a cheap means of feeding the slaves working on sugar plantations. A single breadfruit tree can produce as many as 200 fruits in a year’s time. It is used as a staple food similar to the potato. It is prepared in many different ways. It can be roasted, boiled, fried, made into a salad, and cooked in stews. It is approximately 25% carbohydrate and 70% water with an average amount of vitamin C and trace minerals. It has a textured surface that smooths out when the breadfruit is ripe. It also gets a softer feel to it when ripe.
Soursop is another St. Kitts fruit that you might find unique. Soursop was most likely native to St. Kitts and grows throughout the Caribbean, Central America, and Mexico. It’s pulp has a creamy consistency, the taste is a sort of tutti-frutti flavor. Some describe it as a cross between strawberry and pineapple with sour citrus notes. Soursop is used to make drinks, desserts, and as a flavoring for ice cream. Local people sometimes mix it with milk and give it to their children at bedtime to help them to fall asleep. Fruits have a spiny appearance. When ripe they become soft. Soursop contains a large number of seeds and a core which should not be eaten.
St. Kitts also produces Sugar Apples, or Custard Apples as they are sometimes called. Another plant that was thought to be native to the Caribbean, the tree bears as many as 50 fruit per year. The lobes separate easily when it is ripe and the fruit feels soft. When separated the lobes will each have a piece of the fruit attached with can be bitten of the peel. It contains many large, hard black seeds which are indigestible. The fruit is sweet and has a custard like consistency. I can’t say I think the taste resembles any other fruit I’ve eaten. It almost reminds me of a pleasant perfume. The fruit is eaten raw.
Another fruit you might see here is the Mamie Apple. Typically grown at higher elevations, the fruit can be quite large (several pounds in weight). The skin is thick, brown in color, and has a fuzzy appearance. The fruit is a bright yellow- orange color and tastes similar to a mango. I personally like the taste better than mango, it’s a sweeter more refreshing taste. The texture is similar to that of a mango. The skin of the Mamie Apple can cause an allergic reaction in sensitive individuals. If you are allergic to mango skin, it’s probably best to avoid the skin of the Mamie apple as it can produce a similar effect. This fruit is eaten raw.
The Guinep is a fruit I had never seen before I moved to St. Kitts. It comes in clusters that are grown on very large trees. The skin is similar to a citrus fruit but very thin. The fruit is typically eaten by making a bite into the skin and then squeezing the fruit out into your mouth. The pulp of the fruit is orange in color, and it’s taste is similar to a lychee but with a creamy texture and a more pronounced sweet tart element. At the center of the pulp is a large hard seed which should be spit out after the flesh is removed from it. This fruit is a favorite of school children, and is sometimes called a skinnip as well. You will often see vendors selling guineps outside the school yard.
The name apple seems to be used for many fruits in St. Kitts. We also have Wax Apples. Wax Apples, called Malay Apples in other parts of the Caribbean were not native to the island but brought in from Asia. The tree tends to be more shrub-like and bears many fruit that are about 4-5 inches long and sort of pear-shaped. The skin is very thin and red in color and the flesh is white. The taste is sweet and mild, and sort of resembles a watery apple. A mature tree can bear up to 600 fruit. The entire fruit can be eaten and is usually eaten raw and/or may be sliced into a salad.
There are several other fruits that were new to me upon coming here from a Northern climate, but may be more familiar if you come from lower North America. Among them are the Cashew Apple or Cashew Cherry as it is sometimes called. The fruit is on top of the cashew nut when on the tree. The tree is shrub-like and will bear 100 fruit or more in a season. The skin and flash may be eaten and have a sweet fragrance and taste similar to a mango combined with citrus. The fruit is eaten raw. The cashew itself must be roasted prior to eating or it can cause a severe allergic reaction.