By Sue-Ann Wayow
THE Hibiscus sabdariffa L belongs to the flowering plant family of Euphorbiaceae.
It is cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions for stem fibers, paper pulp or edible calyces, leaves, and seeds. More than 300 species of hibiscus can be found around the world. 
SabdariffaL is popularly known as roselle. Here in the Caribbean, we know it as sorrel.
Okay, enough of the boring stuff, let’s get down to the juicy business of all the uses of sorrel.
As a multipurpose crop, all parts of the sorrel plant have excellent qualities for making beverages, jellies, jams, medicine, ice cream and flavours to name a few. Given its diversified nature, it is being established as an economic crop in the developing countries.
Trinidad and Tobago is not left out.
First up, sorrel juice is a must-have for many homes during the Christmas season.
While the concentrated version can be found on supermarket shelves, some still prefer the homemade method of boiling and brewing with spices such as cinnamon and bay leaf.
Sorrel flavoured soft drink not forgetting to mention shandy is also popular and sorrel homemade wine is making itself known in the local markets.
In recent times, sorrel’s use has expanded to local treats such as sorrel chutney, sorrel kuchela and even sorrel pepper sauce.
That’s not all.
You can also get sorrel flavoured ice cream and chocolates.
And not for consumption, persons can all purchase sorrel scented soaps.
Incentives for the value-added product
AZPNews.com spoke with Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat on sorrel’s potential in the commercial market.
He said, “Sorrel remains a seasonal crop in T&T and is largely grown by small farmers to supply the Christmas market for it as a drink. It is of course very versatile and in niche markets is used for chutneys, jams and jellies, wine and in an assortment of other products. Since sorrel is not unique to T&T it is also imported by the major brands in a dehydrated form for use in commercial bottling. This of course represents an opportunity for commercial growing which we once had in the country driven by National Canners.”
The Ministry through the National Seed Bank has the local sorrel seeds for sale at highly subsidised prices. Commercial growers will also have access to technical advice and the usual subsidies and incentives available to registered farmers.
People doing value-added with sorrel can also qualify for the $100,000 Agri Incentive Grant under the Ministry and those involved in export can qualify for the Agro Processing Grant of up to $250,000 under the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the minister said.
He added that recently, there has been an increased interest in the green sorrel which produces a clear drink with a similar sorrel taste.
On a personal note, Rambharat said, “Sorrel is a favourite of mine and I would be happy if we can get growers on a larger scale.”
Chutney and Pepper Sauce
Sorrel chutney by Chutney Daddy in Diego Martin is made using the petals of the flower.
The producer Joseph Da Silva adds in seasoning from the mountainous region of Paramin and an assortment of local hot peppers to get his unique flavour.
The flavour he said, was a sure taste of Trinbagonian culture.
“I adapted a European style chutney fused our essence, our boldness. I wanted to bring the spice and sexiness of our people in the food. It is sweet, tart and spicy, just like we are.”
Da Silva said, the chutney can go with any dish but he recommends that it compliments another local dish- pelau, as well as cheese and crackers.
If he had to describe the chutney to a foreigner, he would say it is the English version of a version, cranberry flavour but with its own uniqueness with a little bit of heat.
Da Silva’s partner Josene Clementy said usually for years, Da Silva would cook all the Christmas lunches and the sorrel chutney would be a must-have at the table.
Only last year, there was a Christmas in July, Green Market theme and the chutney was made on a larger scale for that event.
“It took off on its own,” she said.
This was the second year, selling it to customers, the feedback has been all good and sales were growing incrementally, Clementy said.
She said, “We are happy for people to taste and for the market to grow naturally.”
Anushka Gour from Debe, uses the ingredient in pepper sauce. This year was the first year she used it for her Awesome Sauce brand.
She said, “Why I choose to make sorrel pepper sauce, I like experimenting with different flavours and wanted to use our local produce instead of using cranberries I used sorrel. It goes great with ham and turkey or you just use it in sandwiches. It can also be used as a dipping sauce. It’s spicy and sweet. I used the black sorrel for its rich dark colour and the finished product is a lovely burgundy colour pepper sauce.”
Chocolates and cakes
Chocolate maker Gina Hardy, creates Single Estate Trinitario chocolate with many exotic ingredients and has been using sorrel for a few years now.
Gina’s Chocolate, also based in Diego Martin said, “Sorrel works beautifully with cacao from the La Reunion Estate, Centeno, Ministry of Agriculture. It is bright and fruity and complements the chocolate well. Customer feedback has been awesome. It is a loved bar and the most popular this year.”
Her Midnight Hummingbird Sorrel Chocolate is stocked at Massy Stores.
From Waterloo, Diana Lutchman, owner of Di’s Delights makes sorrel cakes which she said are a hit, especially for Christmas.
She told AZPNews.com she experimented with the flavour and shared a bit of her process in using sorrel to make different treats.
“I use sorrel to make sorrel cake. I use the boiled, drained pulp, grind it with the dried fruit and some liquor in my sorrel cake. I use it in ice cream. I use the sorrel concentrate and mix it with the usual ice cream ingredients. The ice cream has a bit of a slight tang. I use sorrel to make cheesecake topping, by boiling it with sugar and spices to form a compote. I use it also to make sorrel and cranberry sauce for turkey or ham when serving.”
She has not yet sold the sauce and ice cream but said the feedback from customers for the cake and cheesecake topping has been good so far.
For more information on the above-mentioned products, persons can contact Chutney Daddy at 478-8177 and Awesome Sauce at 482-0008, and also check the social media pages for Gina’s Chocolate and Di’s Delights.
