[Sca-cooks] Sekajabin & other Syrups

[Christine Seelye-King]

I went to a reception on Friday for a group of women farmers from Senegal.
They have formed a farming cooperative and have been touring the South to
see cooperative farms, the Tuskeegee Institute, etc.  They came through
Atlanta for this reception to meet the folks that had sponsored them.  They
brought their cheif product which they are hoping to import, "Bissap Sirop"
or Syrup of Hibiscus flowers.  It is a ruby red color, and gets diluted with
water for a drink that is used as a tonic, lower blood pressure, etc.  It is
absolutely wonderful, having the flavor of Red Zinger tea in a sweetened
form.  They all spoke French and the various African languages that were
native to them, and there was one fellow that spoke all of those and
English, too.  The room was quite a babble, and I could not ask many
questions.  However, the translator did say that they also produced other
syrups like Tamarind.  I stood there thinking they probably made Sekanjabin,
too, since they came from the same text!  I snagged a bottle and brought it
home, it is really good.  They are having spectral analysis done at
Tuskeegee to determine the various sugar types and other information they
will need for a food label to be able to import.   Hopefully they will be
able to bring it into the US, I'd love to buy more!
Christianna