Nothing like a drop of tea, eh? And even better, a drop of tea infused from flowers! This beautiful tart and refreshing tea is made from dried flowers, specifically the dried Roselle of the Hibiscus flower genus. I discovered this flower while researching for an ice cream that I want to make (as the weather grows warmer the desire for luscious ice creams increases, no?)
After locating dried roselle 洛神花 at my local Chinese herb/spice shop I brewed myself up some Roselle Hibiscus Tea 洛神花茶. Oh my oh my, what a tea: truly a gorgeous red color, gleaming and sparkling, with a most refreshingly tangy and fruity flavor!
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| Roselle Hibiscus Sabdariffa (photo by Invertzoo) |
This is the Roselle flower 洛神花 plant. Isn't it lovely? The roselle is of the hibiscus flower genus and will blossom into the cutest pink tinged white flowers. The part of the plant that is edible is called the calyx: the fleshy, red pods that you can see in the photo. These surround the seed pod and are harvested after the flower blooms and falls off.
Besides the refreshing nature of this tea, what are the benefits of drinking Roselle Tea? Well, it's known to have very good antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and it's supposed to lower blood pressure. It's also very high in vitamin C, which is great for boosting immunity.
Interestingly roselle is also reputed to be great for stimulating hair growth and adding shine. I'm going to try it on my hair (losing hair, ugh!) and will let y'all know if anything happens.
The roselle calyces can be found both dried as whole pods or as separated petals. Look for roselle in stores that sell dried Chinese herbs and spices or from Chinese tea shops or online here. We bought a jar of the dried petals. Aren't they pretty?
The tea is easy peasy to brew. Just add a small handful of dried roselle petals to a teapot. You won't need a lot of petals as the tart flavor is pretty concentrated in the petals. Then add in some hot water as well as a sweetener of your choice. These days I like to use maple syrup to sweeten all my drinks as well my homemade yogurt.
Let the tea brew for 10 mins or so. The color of the water will infuse with the beautiful red color of the roselle, brewing up an irresistible pot of tea. The flavor of this tea is rather like that of the cranberry: tart and fruity and refreshing.
As an optional brewing method (and to better show off this gorgeous tea!) I brewed an individual serving of roselle tea directly inside a glass cup. Look at that color!
Ahhh! So refreshing and delightful this roselle hibiscus tea! Just the thing for a relaxingly beautiful afternoon cup o' tea, supplemented with a plate of our scrummy lotus seed cookie pastries 蓮子糕餅, nom, nom, nom...
And in regards to future kitchen experiments, we're so glad that we discovered this flower! Roselle is such an interesting ingredient to play around with! The gleaming red hue and its delightful tartness can be used to stunning effect in desserts I imagine. I'm planning on experimenting with making some roselle jam as well as some ice cream with these delightful flowers so stay tuned for more, dear readers!
Roselle Hibiscus Tea Recipe
洛神花茶
(4 servings) Prep time: 1 min Brew time: 10 minsIngredients:
- 3 tbsp dried roselle petals or 3 dried roselle flowers
- 4 cups boiling water
- 3 tbsp sugar or 2 tbsp maple syrup
- ice (optional)
Directions:
Add the leaves: Add dried roselle leaves to teapot. Add the boiling water to pot, leaving room to add the sugar. Add in the sugar (to taste) and stir to melt. Cover the teapot.
Brew the tea: Brew the tea for 10 mins.
Pour the tea: For hot tea pour tea into tea cups to enjoy immediately. For cold tea add ice before sipping. Enjoy your tea break!
Delicious Drinks at The Hong Kong Cookery:
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