Folere! Folere! Buy ya folere! That’s the call you hear from folere sellers. That is the call you want to hear on a busy market day, with scorching temperatures of about 90 degrees or higher. They come to you, but it’s never unusual to hear people ask where the folere seller was last spotted. This is the ultimate thirst quencher. Sweet with a little tang and typically served chilled .You find vendors mostly in busy markets, bus stops and little stands between towns . Just like the lemonade stand, there is a folere stand.
Some sellers go to the markets early to catch the morning crowd, while others await the midday heat. Plastic bottles filled to the brim seating in ice buckets. Don’t be alarmed if the seller asks you to return the bottle. You can pay a little extra to keep the bottle or bring your own bottle for exchange. Sometimes customers will gulp down a bottle right next to the stand.
Folere is a very simple tea you can enjoy at home. Some have added unto the original recipe; lemon juice, cinnamon, orange juice and more. All you really need is a pineapple , water, sugar and most importantly dried roselle sepals ,a type of hibiscus . Folere is also known as zobo in Nigeria, bissap in Senegal and sorrell in the Caribbean. So really simple and very affordable to make.
It is tempting to rush the process but you will be missing out on the flavors and that unique folere taste. My recipe started at 8pm the night before and I enjoyed my first ice cold sip about noon the next day. The key to let everything soak for at least 6 hours. Considering we are using pineapple peels, do thoroughly wash before cutting. Though optional , I added a cup of pineapple chunks for good measure. I also find combining the water with the pineapple peel and bringing it to a boil before adding the hibiscus help the flavors develop even better.
You can make your folere as sweet as you want. Just a simple syrup with sugar and water. Folere is kid friendly and the ultimate backyard party beverage. It is also a great start to that perfect cocktail. We enjoy this tea year round and you can too. Cheers!
Folere ( Cameroon Hibiscus Ice Tea)
Ingredients
Folere
- 1 medium pineapple
- 2 cups dried hibiscus sepals (roselle)
- 4 quarts water (Use less water for a stronger tea)
- 2 cinnamon sticks (optional)
- 7 cloves (optional)
- 1/3 cups sliced ginger
Simple Syrup
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Thoroughly wash and peel pineapple. Cut up pineapple flesh into quarter inch chunks. Combine pineapple peels, 1 cup of the pineapple chunks and water in a large pot. Bring to a rapid boil and cook for 10 minutes.
- Add in hibiscus and continue boiling for another 10 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let cool over night ( At least 7 hours).
- Strain with a sieve at least two times to remove all debris. To make simple syrup, combine sugar and water in a pot, heat and stir until sugar completely dissolves. Cool and add into folere. Using a funnel transfer into bottles, cap and chill for about two hours. (You can also erve warm)
- Enjoy cold over ice
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