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Also known as- Hibiscus sabdariffa, red sorrel, African Mallow, Indian Sorrel, Jamaica Sorrel, Jamaica Tea Flower, and Roselle
Introduction
The tropical hibiscus bears red flowers used in a tart tea, a caffeine-free refreshing drink. According to a study performed by Shan Medical University's Institute of Biochemistry in Taiwan, extract from the hibiscus flower (Hibiscus sabdariffa) lowers both low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease. These results were published in the September 15th issue of the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. Dr. Chau-Jong Wang and his colleagues suspect that the high antioxidant content contained in the hibiscus extract contributes to the lowered LDL levels noted in the experiment.
Does the news that hibiscus flower extract actually has some therapeutic value surprise scientists? Not really. Hibiscus flower extract has been used in many folk remedies for liver disorders and high blood pressure. However, this is the first piece of research that establishes the healthy benefits of consuming hibiscus flower extract.
Great Hibiscus Recipes!
1. SYRUP/CORDIAL
This syrup will keep for at least a year. Once opened, it will keep for months if refrigerated. The syrup is delicious over crepes, fresh fruit, custard, ice cream. To make cordial, a very small quantity of syrup can be added to a glass and filled with water. The syrup can also be added to milk to make a delicious drink.
5 cups sugar
4 cups water
4 cups calyces, chopped
Heat the sugar and water in a large saucepan until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the calyces and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer gently until the volume of liquid is reduced by a third. Remove from the heat and strain. Bottle the syrup while still hot into clean bottles and seal. The strained calyces can be eaten as a dessert with icecream or custard
2. FLOWERS
Flowers can be added to salads for color.
Flowers can be frozen whole into containers of water and floated in a punch bowl.
3. JAM
1 kg of hibiscus fruit - remove the seed pods so just the calyces remain.
Add 3 cups of water and boil until tender, about 20 minutes.
Add the juice of 3 lemons and 1 kg of sugar.
Boil until the mixture thickens, for about 20 minutes.
NOTE: Some Breadmakers make jam and we adapted the ingredients to make jam in the Breadmaker: 500g of chopped calyces; approximately 3 cups of sugar and 1 cup of water; 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 2 teaspoons of commercial jam setting mixture.
Does the news that hibiscus flower extract actually has some therapeutic value surprise scientists? Not really. Hibiscus flower extract has been used in many folk remedies for liver disorders and high blood pressure. However, this is the first piece of research that establishes the healthy benefits of consuming hibiscus flower extract.
4. HIBISCUS TEA
Herbal Hibiscus tea is generally brewed by pouring boiling water over the herbs in the proportion of 1 cup water to 1 teaspoon dried or 1 tablespoon fresh herbs, a bit stronger if you are planing to serve it over ice. Cover the pot to prevent the aromatic steam from escaping and let the infusion steep from 3 to 10 minutes, depending on the herb. If you want a stronger flavor, use more herbs, because longer steeping may bring out a bitter flavor. Or put some fresh herbs and water in a clear glass jar and set it in the sun to brew on warm summer days. For convenience, mix up large quantities of your favorite blends and store them in tightly closed glass jars in a cool, dark cupboard. Use dried ingredients, stored separately, to create variations. Hibiscus: tangy citrus flavor. Sweetens stomach and breath.
5. MORE HIBISCUS TEA
Ingredients:
6 c. water
4 oz. dried hibiscus flowers
1/2 c. fresh lime juice
sugar or sweetener to taste
Directions:
Bring water to a boil. Remove from heat. Add hibiscus blossoms and allow to steep, covered.
When cool, add sugar to taste, and lime juice. Mix and chill for a refreshing tea!
Preparation time: 10 min.
6. HIBISCUS DRINK
This traditional agua gets its glorious red color from the jamaica, or hibiscus, flower, whose natural sourness is counteracted by the sugar.
4 cups water
1 cup dried hibiscus flowers (about 1 1/2 ounces)
1/3 cup sugar, or to taste
2 cups ice
In a saucepan bring water to a boil and add flowers. Simmer mixture 5 minutes and remove pan from heat. Let mixture stand 30 minutes to infuse. Pour infusion through a sieve into a glass pitcher, pressing on solids, and discard flowers. Add sugar and ice, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Chill cooler and stir before serving. Makes 6 Cups
Gourmet June 1997
Constituents
The tart taste of hibiscus is due to is content of 15 to 30% plant acids, including citric, malic, and tartaric acids. The wine-red color of the tea is the to anthocyans, including delphinidins and cyanidins. In tea, the herb yields mucilage and pectins.
Parts Used
The flower, dried, cut, and powdered.
Typical Preparations
Hibiscus is available as a bulk tea and in tea bags, as well as an ingredient in tea mixtures. Can be used as a natural dye, and is incorporated in several cosmetics. Rarely found in capsule or extract form.
Summary
African folk medicine uses hibiscus as a diuretic, to relieve pressure in the gallbladder, and to relax the uterus. The mucliages in the herb make it a mild laxative, but they are also helpful when the herb is used as a wash to treat weeping eczema. Regular consumption of hibiscus teas often lowers blood pressure, typically 8 to 12 mm/Hg.
Hibiscus is also the source of the hydroxycitric acid (HCA, or hydroxycut) used in many diet formulas. This compound has been long used to fight obesity. Scientific studies with lab animals find that it stops the conversion of carbs in food to body fat. It fights appetite and encourages weight loss„not by increasing energy expenditure but by encouraging the "wasting" of carbohydrate. HCA does not enhance weight loss during low-carb or Atkins-style diets, but it does help weight loss when used with a program of general calorie restriction reducing consumption of carbs, protein, and fats equally.
Hibiscus powder will have more of a laxative effect than other forms of the herb. It delivers more HCA. It is also more likely to help lower LDL cholesterol, although definitive research of the use of this herb for controlling high cholesterol has not been completed.
Precautions
Avoid if there are gallstones. Don't store hibiscus powder for more than six months after purchase. Keep in a cool, dry place.
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