The video above contains interviews of first, second and third generation Windrush Leeds residents discussing the role of food in their culture and about growing up away from home and the importance of culinary traditions in their lives. The video is 4:00 minutes long and includes more information on sorrel and black cake.

SORREL AND BLACK CAKE

Sorrel and Black Cake are popular throughout the Caribbean as well Black British communities across the UK.

Sorrel is a traditional Christmas beverage. Dried hibiscus flowers — known as sorrel in Jamaica and other parts of the Caribbean – are steeped in boiling water along with ginger and other whole spices such as allspice, cinnamon sticks, and cloves. It is traditionally sweetened with sugar, and rum can be added.

Black cake is a dense, richly spiced fruit cake popular across the Caribbean. Dried fruit is soaked in rum before being mixed into a dark, sweet fruit cake batter. As with all Caribbean cooking, everyone has a slightly different recipe for this cake!

You can find the recipes for both sorrel and black cake here.

Return to Windrush Learning Resource