Bissap
Vegetarian
A deep crimson, tart-sweet chilled drink of steeped dried hibiscus flowers with mint and a hint of vanilla. Senegal's favourite refreshment, served at every celebration.
Bissap is a Senegalese cold drink, ready in about 2 hours 45 minutes and made with dried hibiscus flowers and mint. It serves 8 and is rated beginner to cook.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Rest
- 2 h 30 min
- Total
- 2 h 45 min
- Serves
- 8
- Level
- Beginner
- Calories
- 78
Method
Step 1
Rinse the hibiscus (opens in a new tab) flowers. Bring 1 litre of the water to the boil, add the flowers and half the mint (opens in a new tab), then take off the heat.
- 10 min
- high heat
- Saucepan (opens in a new tab)
Step 2
Leave to steep for 30 minutes, then strain through a fine sieve, pressing the flowers.
How it looks · Photo: Katerina Holmes on Pexels Step 3
Stir in the sugar (opens in a new tab) until dissolved, then the remaining cold water, vanilla (opens in a new tab) and orange blossom water (opens in a new tab).
- 3 min
Step 4
Chill for at least 2 hours. Serve very cold over ice with the remaining mint (opens in a new tab).
About this dish
- Origin
- Senegal · Commonly attributedHibiscus drinks are made widely — zobo in Nigeria, karkadeh in Egypt and Sudan, agua de jamaica in Mexico; bissap is the Senegalese name and style.Also popular in Nigeria, Egypt, MexicoMore food from Senegal
- Dish
- Snack · Cold drinks
- Cooking method
- Boiled, No-cook
- Taste
- sour, sweet, fruity, refreshing
- Diet
- Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredientsWithout the optional extras: Alcohol-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
All labels
Vegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-fat · Low-sodium · DASH-style - Good for
- Make-ahead · Festive & celebration · Budget-friendly
- Cook more with
- Dried hibiscus flowers · Mint · Sugar
- Techniques
- Boiling
Allergens
None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.
Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.
Nutrition
78 kcal per serving
Estimated1 serving ≈ 272 g · recipe makes 8
Where the energy comes from
- Protein 0%
- Carbohydrate 100%
- Fat 0%
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 g* |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 78 kcal | 29 kcal |
| Protein | 0 g | 0 g |
| Carbohydrate | 20.2 g | 7.4 g |
| Net carbohydrate | 20.1 g | 7.4 g |
| Sugars | 20 g | 7.3 g |
| Added sugars | 20 g | 7.4 g |
| Fibre | 0.1 g | 0 g |
| Fat | 0 g | 0 g |
| Saturated fat | 0 g | 0 g |
| Trans fat | — | — |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 6 mg | 2 mg |
| Salt equivalent | 0 g | 0 g |
Vitamins & minerals per serving
- Potassium
- 8 mg
- Calcium
- 29 mg
- Iron
- 0.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 6 mg
- Vitamin A (RAE)
- 3 µg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0 µg
- Vitamin B12
- 0 µg
- Folate (DFE)
- 1 µg
How these numbers were made
- Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
- *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
- Optional ingredients are not included: vanilla extract, orange blossom water, ice.
- Dried hibiscus flowers: Raw roselle (FDC 168170) used as a stand-in; dried calyces are more concentrated, but in drinks they are steeped and strained so little is consumed.
- “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
- Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
Good to know
Tips
- Hibiscus can stain — use a stainless steel pan and wipe spills quickly.
Common mistakes
- Boiling the flowers too long — the drink turns bitter.
Serve with
- Serve at parties alongside ginger juice (gingembre) and baobab juice (bouye).
Storage
- Refrigerate in a bottle up to 5 days.
Variations
- Zobo (Nigeria): The Nigerian version, often spiced with ginger, cloves and pineapple.
- Karkadeh (Egypt): Egyptian and Sudanese hibiscus tea, drunk hot or cold.
Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated
Recipe DNA
How this dish is built
Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.
The body of the dish
Gravy, sauce & base
- Dried hibiscus flowers60 g
- Water2 l · 2000 g
- Sugar160 g
- Mint, half for steeping, half leaves picked for serving10 sprig · 10 g
- Vanilla extract (optional)1 tsp · 4.3 g
- Orange blossom water (optional)1 tsp · 4.9 g
- Ice (optional)300 g
Less sweet, dairy-free, caffeine-free or for more people — the original stays as it is.
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