by

Hibiscus karkadeh

There can be few better ways to revive oneself from the heat of the Sudanese day than to sit and drink a chilled cup of karkadeh!

Sudanese hibiscus flowers (karkadeh) are rich in iron and are said to lower blood pressure. In Sudan it is often regarded as a herbal tea that can help with sore throats and coughs. Karkadeh is harvested in Kordofan in the west of Sudan and is used to make a refreshing drink that can be served hot or cold. Not only does it have a delicious taste, it produces when soaked a deep red colour similar to pomegranates or cranberry juice. The best place to buy karkadeh flowers is in the souq where it is sold by the pound (raTul) for about 8-10 SDG. Although ground karkadeh is available in tea bags, it is much better to make it yourself with dried flowers.

Making a fresh jug of karkadeh is relatively simple. Continue reading →

by

Illustrated Arabic

Edit, check and proof read your book… again and again and again…

This seems to be the standard advice for anyone wanting to publish a book! During the last week I’ve been checking through my book on Arabic verbs; adding pictures here and correcting spelling. Then I’ll turn it over to my editor to check through one final time.

At least the end is in sight, or is it?

I’m hoping that I can publish it as an e-book. The advantages are that it would be affordable for readers and so reach a wider readership. The main problem will be formatting a book bursting with so many colourful illustrations so that it doesn’t get distorted in the conversion process. Wish me luck as I’m on a very steep learning curve here!

Oh I almost forgot… the title at the present time is: Illustrated Sudanese Colloquial Arabic Verbs