Zobo or Zoborodo is a nutritious and medicinal drink made from dried leaves known as Hibiscus Sabdarriffa.
Making the drink which is widely consumed in Nigeria and Africa is easy and straightforwar. If you follow the steps we will outline, you will be on your way to running a Zobo business in Nigeria.
Zobo is not only refreshing, it can also be used to regulate blood pressure, reduce cholesterol, strengthen blood vessels, amongst other benefits.
THINGS TO GET BEFORE STARTING ZOBO PRODUCTION
You will need to get capital which will be used to buy ingredients and equipment before you can start the production of zobo drinks.
START UP CAPITAL
To start zobo business in small scale, if you have between N10,000 to N30,000 it is enough to buy the ingredients. But you want to to go into wholesale, with N500,000 to N1,000,000, you can have a specially branded zobo business where you can have sealing machines for the bottles.
EQUIPMENT
The important equipment are;
Pots
Bowls
Turning stick
Pet Bottles
Measuring spoons
INGREDIENTS FOR ZOBO PRODUCTION
After getting the equipment, there are ingredients which you must buy from the market because without them you cannot make the nutritious drink.
The make Zobo drinks you have to :
Get 2 (De Rica) cups of dry zobo leaves
Get 2 tablespoons of cloves (konafuru)
Get 2 stumps fresh ginger
Ginger
Garlic
1 big ripe pineapple
Slices of citrus fruits of your choice: orange, lemon, lime – to garnish
EASY STEPS TO MAKE ZOBO
When you have gotten everything you need, start by;
Rinsing out the dust from the zobo leaves with cold water
Grind the cloves into powdered form
Wash and peel the skin of the ginger and blend roughly
Wash, peel and cut the pineapple into thin slices.
Put the washed zobo leaves into a pot and pour enough water to cover it
Put on the cooker/heater and leave to boil for a few minutes on medium heat
Put the ginger and the garlic, then add more water and boil for at 30 more minutes.
During this time the zobo leaves are expected to be completely soft.
Turn off the cooker and set the pot aside to cool down.
Blend the pineapples while the zobo cools.
The next step is to sieve out the zobo leaves.
Pour the juice through a sieve or cheese cloth to remove tiny particles and leave only a smooth juice.
You can add the pineapple juice and repeat the process of sieving it through the chiffon cloth to make sure there are no particles left.
If you have any artificial flavours like diced cucumber or honey you can add them at this time and stir.
Pour the zobo into bottles and refrigerate because they are best served cold.
Now you can now start selling the drinks.
Serve with ice and sliced fruits. Enjoy it alone or with a snack.
MARKETING
There is a wide range of ways you can sell the zobo (Hibiscus) drinks in Nigeria.
Local market: Visit markets in your locality or shops, and stalss
E-commerce/Online marketplaces: Marketplaces like Jumia, Konga and Amazon have provision for the sale of from registered vendors.
Social media: Social media marketing and Influencer marketing is another way to get your zobo drink to sell. If you don’t have money to pay Influencers or digital marketers, you can use your social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Word-of-mouth: One of the fastest ways for information about a good or service to spread is through people you know. So you can get friends, family, colleagues, neighbours to spread the word about your products.
Bulk sales: You can offer discounts to customers who buy in bulk.
CHALLENGES TO NOTE
Given the unpredictable weather conditions in Nigeria and Africa, getting the Hibiscus plants may be difficult during certain seasons.
Pest and diseases: Hibiscus plants are susceptible to pests and diseases, this means that if not well preserved, it could lead to reduced yield and quality of the produce.
For anyone who wishes to start a zobo business, note that the drink is best served chilled. So it is important to always find a way to keep it cool either by using fridge or ice block coolers.
HEALTH BENEFITS
Zobo drink contains vitamin C (ascorbic acid) which is essential for boosting the body’s immune system.
It helps with digestion of food and prevents constipation all thanks to its diuretic properties.
Zobo drink is also rich in anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.
Consistenly drinking it without additives helps in weight loss as it lowers the absorption of glucose and starch.
Hibiscus (Zobo) drink production can be a stable source of income and it is a business which also profitable long term. Apart from its local demand, there is a growing global market for hibiscus tea, as countries have started to package and export them.
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