What is Hibiscus Herbal Tea?

WHAT IS HIBISCUS HERBAL TEA?

Hibiscus is a flower that is used to make herbal tea. Hibiscus has a tart flavour with notes of raspberries and cranberries and is bright red in colour. It is perfect served hot, iced, in cocktails or sparkling wine and can be used as a natural pink or red food dye.

Hibiscus is referred to as a herbal tea. Herbal teas are made up of a variation of plants, herbs and spices. Hibiscus can’t be classified as a tea because it does not contain camellia sinensis, the plant that is the basis of all tea.

This herbal tea is made by steeping dried hibiscus flowers and goes by many different names around the globe, for example, in Australia we call this flower rosella.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF HIBISCUS

In Chinese culture, hibiscus flowers are believed to lower blood pressure, fight bacteria, aid weight loss, fight free radicals and promote liver health.

In Africa, hibiscus herbal tea is used to soothe sore throats, decrease body temperature and treat heart disease.

The supposed chemical that attributes to all of the health benefits of hibiscus is called anthocyanin, the same chemical found in red berries.

HIBISCUS TEA NUTRITIONAL VALUE

Hibiscus herbal tea has negligible calories, is high in antioxidants and contains no caffeine. Adding sugar or honey to the herbal tea will add calories and associated carbohydrates to it.

WHAT DOES HIBISCUS TEA TASTE LIKE?

Hibiscus has a tart, cranberry and raspberry flavour. It has a combination of fruity, sweet, sour and bitter notes, which is why it is so commonly likened to the flavour of cranberries. People commonly make this tea iced with fruits or add honey to sweeten it.

HOW TO BREW HIBISCUS TEA

Water temperature: 90-100 degrees

Amount: 1-2 flowers per 250 mL water

Steeping time: 3-4 minutes

Approx. refills: 2-4 times

WHAT CAN I DO WITH HIBISCUS TEA?

The tart flavour of hibiscus herbal tea makes it perfect when blended with herbs, fruits and alcohol. Popular ways to use hibiscus herbal tea are to:

Add it to sparkling wine. It will complement the sparkling wine beautifully, make it taste sweeter and turn it pink.
Drink iced with honey.
Blend with frozen fruit and mint. This makes for a refreshing summer beverage.
Make a hibiscus Cosmopolitan. Feel like you’re in Sex & the City with less calories! I will be posting a recipe about this on our recipe blog.
Hibiscus Sangria, the perfect Summer beverage

CHECK OUT THE ‘7 COOL THINGS TO DO WITH HIBISCUS HERBAL TEA’

HIBISCUS TEA FOOD PAIRINGS

Hibiscus is perfectly paired with cinnamon dishes, ginger dishes, fresh fruit, fruit cake and christmas puddings.

RANDOM FACT

Hibiscus herbal tea is used as a drink to welcome guests in Africa, used as the base in a Jamaican Christmas drink and made cold and heavily sweetened in Thailand.