Karkade Recipes

I found Flor de Jamaica or Hibiscus Flower (dried) at Walmart! This drink is awesome. These are served at Sunday brunch at a favorite restaurant of mine. I was thrilled when I found the recipe at chow.com! They can be served virgin or with a spike of high quality vodka. Look for Jamaica flowers (also known as hibiscus or flor de jamaica) in most Latin grocery stores; they're often found in the bulk bins or in the dried herbs section. You can also find them online at MexGrocer.com. If you're making this for a crowd you'll want to make a double or triple recipe and make it in a big stockpot. Sometimes there's a little gritty sediment that settles at the bottom of the brewing pot. To prevent any grit from getting into your agua fresca, don't pour the very last bit of the brew through the sieve while straining. Do not confuse this with the hibiscus flowers you might grow in your flower beds. Read on for more info. Also known as: roselle, rosella or rosella fruit in Australia, meśta/meshta on the Indian subcontinent, chin baung in Myanmar, krajeab in Thailand, bissap in Senegal, Mali, and Niger, the Congo and France, dah or dah bleni in other parts of Mali, wonjo in the Gambia, zobo in Nigeria (the Yorubas in Nigeria call the white variety Isapa (pronounced Ishapa)), karkade (كركديه; IPA: ['karkade]) in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan, omutete in Namibia, sorrel in the Caribbean and Jamaica in Latin America, Saril in Panama, rosela in Indonesia, asam paya or asam susur in Malaysia. In Chinese it is (Luo Shen Hua) . The plant is considered to have anti-hypertensive properties and has been used in folk medicine as a diuretic, mild laxative, and treatment for cardiac and nerve diseases and cancer. It can also be found in markets (as flowers or syrup) in some places such as France, where there are Senegalese immigrant communities. In East Africa, the calyx infusion, called "Sudan tea", is taken to relieve coughs. In Africa, especially the Sahel, roselle is commonly used to make a sugary herbal tea that is commonly sold on the street. The dried flowers can be found in every market. In the Caribbean the drink is made from the fresh fruit, and it is considered an integral part of Christmas celebrations. The Carib Brewery Trinidad Limited, a Trinidad and Tobago brewery, produces a Shandy Sorrel in which the tea is combined with beer. In Thailand, Roselle is drunk as a tea, believed to also reduce cholesterol. In Malaysia, they consider this a pro-health drink due to high contents of vitamin C and anthocyanins. In Mexico, 'agua de Jamaica' is most often homemade as it is in this recipe and is often served chilled. However, one of the most popular brands of Mexican soft drinks,"Jarritos", is made from the flowers.

Provided by Mamas Kitchen Hope

Categories     Beverages

Time 14m

Yield 3 quarts, 12 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 5

• Ingredients

ZWT7 Africa. Very popular in Egypt and Sudan. This beverage is said to have been a preferred drink of the pharaohs. In Egypt and Sudan, wedding celebrations are traditionally toasted with a glass of hibiscus tea. In Egypt, karkadé as it is called in Arabic, is used as a means to lower blood pressure if consumed in high amounts. Every busy street, train station, bus depot, has its vendors & the dried flowers may be found in every market. From, www.congocookbook.com.

Provided by UmmBinat

Categories     Punch Beverage

Time 25m

Yield 8 cups, 8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 8

• Ingredients

This traditional Egyptian hibiscus tea is made with loose dried hibiscus flowers, which are left to steep in the tea as it cools so the tea is quite strong. Tea bags are not suitable. We drink this tea rather sweet to break fast during the month of Ramadan. Make sure to sweeten the tea while still warm so that the sugar dissolves easily and then serve chilled.

Provided by Afiyet_olson

Categories     World Cuisine Recipes     African     North African     Egyptian

Time 4h5m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 3

• Ingredients

Nutrition Facts : Calories 16.1 calories, Carbohydrate 4.2 g, Sodium 7.1 mg, Sugar 4.2 g