Karkade of Aswan

Karkade is made from the dried calyces of the roselle hibiscus, steeped in hot water or left to infuse cold, producing a drink of a deep translucent red with a sharp, clean sourness that is usually balanced with a good deal of sugar. It is drunk across Egypt but it belongs to the south: the plant is grown in Upper Egypt and Nubia, the Aswan souq sells the dried calyces by the sack, and it is the standard welcome drink in Nubian houses and in Aswan hotels, served hot in the winter months and iced through the summer. It was a drink of the pharaonic and later courts by tradition and is still made at home in quantity. Buying the dried flowers loose in the souq is the usual souvenir from the town.

What you actually see

• Sacks of dried calyces - the raw hibiscus sold by weight in the souq.
• Hot and iced service - the same drink through both seasons.
• Nubian household hospitality - karkade as the welcome drink.
• The deep translucent red - the colour that makes it recognisable.

When to go

Year round: hot from November to March, iced from April to October. One hour to browse the souq stalls and drink a glass. Evening is when the souq is busiest and the cafes fill.

Honest expectations

Quality varies and the cheapest calyces are dusty and broken; buy whole, dark red ones. It is usually served very sweet and you have to ask for less sugar. Some sellers push blends cut with other flowers. Hibiscus can interact with blood pressure medication, which is worth knowing rather than ignoring.

Nearby

The Aswan souq is where it is bought; the corniche cafes are where it is drunk.