If you’re Australian, you might call this delightful flower ‘rosella’. But whatever you call it, this delightfully tart, slightly sour, cranberry tasting flower is a popular herbal tea across the globe for a variety of reasons. It’s delicious when had both hot and iced, produces a vibrant pinky/red colour and has a range of health benefits.

Hibiscus tea has been used for thousands of years by many cultures to reduce blood pressure, as an antioxidant supplement, to reduce body temperature and soothe sore throats. Now if that’s not reason enough to drink it daily, there are also many creative and tasty treats to make with this beautiful herbal tea.

Want to know more about hibiscus herbal tea benefits? Read more here.

1. Hibiscus Water (Agua de Jamaica)

Believed to have originated in Jamaica and popular throughout Mexico, this sweet, tart and vibrant tasting drink is extremely refreshing. In Mexico it is usually served after lunch and it is often made more tart in flavour than when served in Jamaica. It’s also popular for its wonderful health benefits, believed to be a good diuretic and packed with Vitamin C.

You can find a recipe for it on the Instagram post below, or you can try out this recipe we found from The Mexican Food Journal which delves into different ways to prepare this delightful drink.

2. Hibiscus Tea Latte

Have a turmeric latte if you want to boost your immune system, but have a hibiscus latte if you want to boost your metabolism, improve your digestion and give yourself an antioxidant boost. Plus the pink colour is way more instagram-able than the yellow turmeric.

A delicious recipe for a hibiscus rose latte can be found here.

3. Make Chamoy Sauce

Spice up your Mexican food by making this racy sauce. This sauce is sweet, salty and spicy all at once, but hibiscus flowers help to give it a delicious sour taste. Chamoy is best drizzled over fresh fruits and vegetables or used as a marinade for meat.

Recipe from @piastromexicankitchen

4. Give your skin a hydration boost

Make your own antioxidant boost for the skin at home. Hibiscus flowers are believed to improve skins’ ability to retain moisture, which means your skin will look softer and suppler for longer. So by adding blended hibiscus herbal tea into your skincare routine, you will be doing wonders for your skin.

Make all of these amazing hair and skincare products at home by blending up your hibiscus herbal tea.

5. Dessert Garnish

Add some zing and a splash of colour to your desserts with some crushed up hibiscus herbal tea. A simple garnish with a lot of flavour. Plus it makes your dessert look prettier in photos.

6. Mocktails/cocktails

From a cheeky hibiscus cosmopolitan to hibiscus sangria, there are many mocktails and cocktails that you can make using hibiscus herbal tea. Check out how to make hibiscus sangria here.

7. Hibiscus Simple Syrup

Use hibiscus simple syrup to brighten up your white wine. The natural cranberry flavour from the hibiscus brightens up the wine, while the sweetness from the syrup will make your wine taste more fun. Plus the hibiscus will turn your drink a beautiful pink colour, and who doesn’t want that? Recipe on instagram post.

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