I'm sure you've heard of or seen a hibiscus flower before, had it in your tea or even grown it in your garden. It’s very common, as there are over 200 varieties of the flower and they are grown in almost every continent. They range in size and color: Some are white, some are pale yellow and some are blue, but the most common variety has a pink/purple/red hue.
The specific type of flower I am most interested in and have worked the most with is roselle, aka red sorrel, Jamaican sorrel, Indian sorrel or Florida cranberry — not to be confused with sorrel, the herb. It's most likely native to West Africa, and it's grown around the world, especially South and Southeast Asia. A member of the mallow family (Malvaceae), it's directly related to okra — hence why their beautiful flowers are so strikingly similar.
What is hibiscus?
Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) has been traced back to Black populations of western Sudan sometime before 4000 B.C. But today, the hardy plant, which thrives in tropical and subtropical regions, flourishes far and wide — from China and Vietnam to Egypt, Mexico and Nigeria.
More broadly, roselle is used in food preparation, animal feed and traditional medicine. It’s the calyx of the plant, the part of the flower that protects the petals, that are best for use in food and drink preparation, according to Chris Smith, author of "The Whole Okra" and founder and executive director of the Utopian Seed Project in Asheville, North Carolina, in terms of depth of flavor — though the hibiscus flowers can be dried as whole blossoms, steeped and bottled for year-round use.
Today, you might spot it on a menu described as a tart, deep fuchsia-colored herbal tea — zobo or bissap, depending on which West African country or region you’re in. It’s also the mother source of red drink, a staple of African American cultures across the U.S., as well as agua de Jamaica, which is a popular drink in Mexico, Central America, and parts of South America and the Caribbean. In my kitchen and, as I found out recently, a number of South American cultures, the calyx is dehydrated and used to make a stunning finishing salt, which brings out an amazing sweetness in savory foods.
How is hibiscus used traditionally?
Traditionally, hibiscus has many uses — in medicine, food, drink and otherwise. Farmers often use leaves and seeds to feed both people and livestock. Many farmers depend on sorrel for income as it’s known as a cash crop in Sudan, Senegal and Mali. Its seeds are harvested and eaten roasted, used for oil, or when ground, added to soups or sauces. Its leaves and shoots are cooked or eaten raw as a bitter vegetable or dried and ground to be added as sour flavoring for vegetables.
Its bracing tartness lends fresh flavor to foods: When incorporated with simple syrup or sweetener, it finds its way into many sweet treats — as flavoring for jam, jelly, ice cream, tarts, chocolate, puddings and cakes; it also complements savory foods like chutneys, marmalades, butters, sauces and even pickles. In Sudan, it is often cooked with onions or groundnuts.
Fresh or dried, the calyces of the roselle flower are used commonly in hot and cold beverages, including non-caffeinated teas, soft drinks, wine (when fermented) and other drinks to add a kick (for example, during Christmas, it's mixed with eggnog or rum). In Sudan and Nigeria, it is boiled with sugar to make a popular non-alcoholic cranberry drink called zoborodo (zobo for short); in Egypt, it is used to make a tea called karkade.
What are some of hibiscus' potential health benefits?
The flowers and leaves — and seeds and roots, but to a lesser extent — of roselle, when fresh, make a wonderfully tart, citrusy addition to a summer salad and have been used in traditional and herbal medicine for centuries. Hibiscus is a fantastic source of vitamin C, a key vitamin that helps support a healthy immune system. It has also been used in herbal medicine to lower blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
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