Let me take you through the process:
First, locate the buds...yes. Then you pluck the entire bud and chuck it in your sack, or 'buhu'.
This is me, chucking the buds into my backpack...
And Laura chucking them into her 'buhu'.
After bringing your sacks full of buds home, remove the outer petals to be dried. This may take a while, but it's worth it.
Once you've removed all the petals, lay them in the sun to dry out.
After they're dried, boil them up in hot water, and you will get a nice hot, red juice. Add ginger and sugar as desired. Pour over ice to serve!
Cultural Note:
When I told people that I planted 'yakwa' (this plant) on my farm, they thought it was hilarious! Apparently women plant 'yakwa', since it's kind of girly. I guess a similar comparison would be like me planting a giant rose garden!
Anyways, I didn't care because I like this 'sobo' juice. Call me culturally insensitive, but I'm happy I stuck to my guns and planted the "girly yakwa". So for future reference, if you're ever thinking about planting 'yakwa' on your farm, be aware of the cultural implications...
