How to prepare caramelized corn drink Asaana and Sobolo

Variety they say is the spice of life, and this is especially true when it comes to finding the perfect blend of suitable drinks to entertain your guests at either a casual or social gathering. Many event organizers are now joining the growing trend of adding a variety of locally made beverages to the list of drinks they serve at their events. Two popular examples of such drinks are Asaana and Sobolo. If you’ve ever wondered how these drinks are made then I’ve got you covered.

Preparing caramelized corn drink “Asaana”

Caramelized corn drink, commonly referred to as “Asaana” is a very popular and nutritious Ghanaian drink which has recently become a staple at most Ghanaian events such as weddings, naming ceremonies, birthday parties and many more. In this article I’ll take you through the simple, albeit time consuming process of making this delicious Ghanaian beverage.

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Ingredients

The quantity of the ingredients stated below is solely for the purpose of this article, you can use more or less of these ingredients based on your preference.

• 2 cups of corn
• 2 cups of sugar
• Milk (optional)

Process

The first step is to crush your corn and soak it in water for three days in order for it to ferment. It’s very important for you to ferment your corn before using it.

Once the corn is fermented pour it into a large saucepan, add adequate water and boil it for about 40 minutes. You can tell your corn is ready once the foam on top disappears.

The next step is to make your caramelized sugar known locally as “mlase”. You do this by pouring your sugar into a saucepan on a heat source, make sure to minimize the heat so not to burn the sugar. Stir continuously for about 10 minutes until it turns into a dark brown sugar syrup.

Strain the water from the boiled corn using a sieve.

Add your caramelized sugar to the strained water and stir.

Your corn drink “Asaana” is now done! You can store it in a refrigerator or serve it with ice cubes, preferably you can also add milk to make it enhance the taste.

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How to prepare sobolo

Just like the Asaana, sobolo has also become a very popular drink at social gatherings and events. The cost effectiveness of these beverages really appeals to event organizers, and guests can never seem to get enough of these locally made drinks. So whether you are orgainizing a big event like a wedding or a birthday party, or just a casual hangout with a few friends and you want to entertain your guests with delicious sobolo but do not know how to go about it, this article has all the information you need.

Made from dried hibiscus leaves, sobolo can be prepared using a variety of flavors including pineapple, vanilla, lemongrass among others but for the purpose of this article we are going to focus on pineapple.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of dried hibiscus leaves
• 3 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 cup of fresh pineapple juice

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Process

• Pour 4 cups of water into a saucepan or kettle and leave it to boil.
• Add your dried hibiscus leaves to the boiled water.
• Add chunks of pineapple or clean peels if available.
• Leave it for a minimum of 45 minutes.
• Take out the leaves once the mixture attains the shade of red you prefer.
• Boil one cup of water and add three tablespoons of sugar.
• Stir until the sugar dissolves.
• Add one cup of pineapple juice to the boiled water and stir properly.
• Add the sobolo extracts you made earlier to the mixture of boiled water and pineapple, and stir thoroughly.
• Leave it uncovered for about two hours to cool.

Once your drink cools down, it is now done and ready to be served.

In addition to it’s great taste, sobolo also has certain health benefits due to the essential nature of its major ingredient (hibuscus) to the body. These benefits include;

• Helping to keep the blood pressure regulated.
• Helping in lowering the cholesterol levels in the body.
• Aids in controlling body weight.

So the next time you are planning a hangout with your friends or an event, don’t forget to include Asaana or Sobolo or even both of these delicious drinks to your menu.

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