Recipe for: Winter drink with roasted pear, hibiscus, and ginger (vegetarian)

Preheat the oven to 200°C (top-bottom). Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Wash the pears, cut each in half lengthwise, and remove the seeds with a small spoon, leaving the skin on (the skin caramelizes well and looks nice). Place the halves cut side down and make short cuts on the flesh surface to help them bake faster and absorb the spices better.

If you are using honey (optional), mix 30 g of honey with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of orange juice (subtract from the total amount of juice). Brush the mixture onto the cut surfaces of the pears. Place a piece of cinnamon stick on each half or arrange the sticks next to them on the baking sheet.

Place the baking tray in the preheated oven on the middle rack and bake for 25–30 minutes. After 15 minutes, check the degree of browning; the edges should start to glaze and caramelize slightly. The pears are ready when a fork inserted into the thickest part goes in easily and the flesh is soft but not falling apart.

In the meantime, prepare the infusion: pour 400 ml of water into a medium pot. Peel the ginger and slice it thinly (if you prefer a stronger spiciness, grate some of it). Add 10 g of dried hibiscus and the whole cinnamon stick.

Bring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium heat. Once it boils, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 6–8 minutes to extract color and flavors (the hibiscus should release a deep ruby color). After 6–8 minutes, remove the pot from the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes for a short infusion — the brew should have a deep red color and an aromatic scent.

Remove the pears from the oven and carefully set them on a cutting board. Allow them to cool for 5 minutes so they don't burn when blending. Then, use a spoon to scoop out the flesh from the halves (you can leave the skin for decoration) and transfer the flesh to a blender along with half of the prepared orange juice (about 150 ml). Blend until smooth purée.

Strain the infusion through a fine sieve into a clean pot or pitcher to remove the pieces of hibiscus, cinnamon, and ginger slices. To the filtered infusion, add the pear purée, the remaining orange juice (about 150 ml), and the lemon juice (30 ml). Gently stir with a wooden spoon until the ingredients are combined.

Taste the drink and optionally sweeten with 30 g of honey (optional) — add gradually 5–10 g at a time and stir to avoid over-sweetening. If you are making the hot version, heat on low until the temperature reaches about 60–70°C (small bubbles should not appear) and immediately remove from heat. If you are making the cold version, set the pitcher aside to cool, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Sparkling version: fill transparent glasses to 2/3 of their height with a cool drink, and just before serving, add 50 ml of sparkling water per serving (total sparkling water 200 ml). Gently stir with a teaspoon from the bottom up to avoid losing the bubbles. Hot version: serve in warmed glasses or mugs without adding sparkling water.

Decoration: place a slice of roasted pear on top (you can keep the skin for color contrast) and a cinnamon stick. For the sparkling version, consider adding orange zest (grate a bit of zest) or a few dried hibiscus petals on top.

After serving, rinse the blender and strainer immediately with warm water to prevent the puree residue from drying. Store any unused drink in a closed pitcher in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours (without added sparkling water). Before serving again, gently heat or chill and add fresh sparkling water for the sparkling version.