You can substitute the sugar with any sweetener, but just add it when it's cold as it will become bitter from the high temperature. I have been making this for my dad with sweetener all Ramadan as he got diabetes. He passed away recently, this just reminded me of him. May he be granted highest place in Jannah..
Don't boil it, cover the hibiscus with ice cold water and place it in the fridge overnight. Cold brewing brings out more of the subtle floral aromas and tanginess without the bitterness
@@dicecard921 Not really. It's a common drink in the Caribbean (we call ot sorrel here) and it's always boiled (usually fresh 'flowers') to bring out the flavour, along with ginger, cinnamon, bayleaf, etc. And if you don't boil it long enough, the flavour is very subdued 🤷♀️ I'd imagine not boiling it at all would be a waste of the sorrel, but do what suits you I suppose.
If you're trying to get rid of the slightly metallic flavor you might be identifying as bitterness, hibiscus can have to some people what I recommend is pairing it with rose hips (specifically hips, not the more floral petals or rose water).
This past Christmas I used it to make non-alcoholic “mulled wine”, with cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and a bit of lemon for zing. Was amazing! Lots of sugar of course too …
@georgehelliar thanks for sharing ❣️ I absolutely love sorrel and wondered what other spices were in it . I settled with ginger but considered letting a cinnamon stick soak
It is roselle or sorrel in the Caribbean. Another way its made in Trinidad is to boil it with, 1 west indian bay leaf, 2 inch piece of dried orange peel, 2 slices of ginger and a few star anise and clove. After boiling, cover and let cool, sweeten to taste then pour into a bottle with a few grains of washed white rice and let sit in the fridge for a week before drinking.
Asalaam alaiqum In Jamaica (among other Caribbean places) the iced version of the tea is called sorrel and it is made with ginger and pimento. In Santiago de Cuba one new year's we made a marmalade out of the flowers left over from making the sorrel drink. 🇨🇺🇯🇲🇬🇾🇹🇹🇪🇬🇵🇸🌺
In Egypt we also have cold version of this. Its called Karkadeh and the cold version is amazing with some sugar i think. Not huge fan of the hot version. Cold is amazing ❤
Not only thew iced version, the fruit is called sorrel, the shrub is called sorrel, and the drink is called sorrel (whether its cold or hot, though its always made cold.) We also add mixed (or other) essence after its cooled, but this is the first I've heard of it being boiled with allspice. We usually use bayleaf, ginger, clove, and cinnamon. Many people even add rum or wine. Grenadian here.
@@Abat-f6r Dearest, you are wrong. Sorrel is called hibiscus, or roselle, in other places outside of the Caribbean. Sorrel can be planted and harvested at any time of the year really, though there are traditional times for planting. Last year we harvested sorrel midyear because of when we'd planted it. It's commonly, traditionally, had at Christmas, but we drink it any time of the year.
Hello there from Chicago I grew up in Mexico City and was raised drinking Jamaica which is what we call it in Mexico City. I still drink Jamaica to this day during summer and winter. 💙🦋🌿
There is nothing better than karkadiyeh on a blazing hot summer day. We also love it in Lebanon and in many versions I really like we add lemon zest because, why not...sahtain!
i make it in the sun, starting with fresh cold water and whole flowers and petals, and no sweetener. after several hours, put it in the fridge, with its flowers. just strain it into a glass to drink. so refreshing. 🌺
Thanks Obi! I like to add a knob of ginger, green cardamom pod, 1/2 a cinamon stick, a star anise and some barberries per liter batch. I use fruit like pineapple or blood orange to sweeten:)
I highly recommend pairing hibiscus with rose hips (specifically dried hips, not rose petals or water or anything like that). It tastes great AND gives a bunch of vitamin C while you're at it (and unlike rose water, you don't need to be careful with the amount you use) If you can get your hands on them, I promise it will help elevate anything from simple hibiscus tea to any of these recipes while still letting the hibiscus shine as the more forward flavor.
The syrup is lovely drizzled over vanilla ice-cream too. If you live in the UK & want to make a homegrown version with foraged ingredients then try rosehip syrup. Similar flavour profile & packed with vitamin C. As well as a treat, I use it in winter for colds & sore throats.
@@WhoFramedMSG It's very much a Christmas drink for us. Leads to a lot of funny stories of toddlers drinking from the "grown ups sorrel jug" at Christmas parties
@@stankmcdankton6204 Jamaica isn't named after a flower, it means "Land of Wood and Water" in Arawak. In Mexico they call hibiscus "Jamaica" because that's where it was imported from.
Oh god karkadieh! I remember in one Ramadan during university, it was very hot and we had lectures and laboratories all day and we all were exhausted!! We were thirsty and tired, we just wanted to go home, sleep and wake up on Maghreb 😂 Ironically, a friend of mine was talking about wanting to go home so bad and wait for Maghreb just to drink iced karkadieh! And just by listening to her and how her mom prepares it, the next lecture I kept thinking about it and imagine myself drinking it and I didn't focus AT ALL in the lecture (our faculty dean was the professor 😂😂) but on the karkadieh 😂❤ luckily, it was the last lecture in the day! I went home with all the excitement and eagerness to make it! And I did! Instead of taking a nap no I was so tired and had panda eyes, I decided that I have to make it on this day, I couldn't stop thinking about it all day long even on my way back home in the bus 😂❤❤ It's gonna always have a truly soft spot in my heart because of this memory!
I was in Mexico last fall and had some hibiscus juice made by some local ladies. They didn't steep the freshly picked hibiscus rather they blended it and then strained out any bigger bits. It was some of the most refreshing juice I've ever had. Being 40 deg C with very high humidity likely helped my reaction to it but it was delicious.
We call this flower "roselle" in Malaysia, because hibiscus refers to our national flower. I enjoy it as a tea, and also a candy version where the flowers are cooked with tamarind and sometimes chilli, grounded into a paste, rolled into tiny balls, then coated in fine sugar. If I wasn't trying to control my sugar intake, I'd have eaten this candy by the bucketfuls lol
@middleEats The dry hibiscus as you show it appears to be dried sorrel - not sure if its the same thing by a different name Try a couple whole cloves in the pot when you simmer it. That's how we have it in the Caribbean.
I love hibiscus tea, i usually crush some leaves to make the colour more concentrated and i let it soak for about 30 minutes, i'm gonna try boiling it for 10 minutes tomorrow. I drink it everyday and it's so delicious, i actually infuse it with a Blueberry herbal tea bag so it is even more delicious without any sugar added.
I actually have some of this already, but I bought it from someone at a local market (specifically it's some Syrian refugees that sell it). It's great knowing that I can make it at home now too!
If you're in the US, look for a Mexican or latin store, I buy mine loose at a tienda here, it's the whole flower so you have to watch for stems I love it
I am one of those who have been using whole hibiscus just to make tea as it has been one of my favorites since I was a kid. I'm absolutely going to try all of these!
Great ideas! ❤ In Northern Nigeria we call it Sobo/Zobo and use bicarb/potash when washing the flowers. They will turn bluish but return to vibrant red when rinsed. This automatically reduces acidity so you get the tang but you don’t need a sweetener. We flavour with spices and fruit peels for variety, and even use the leaves with pumpkin and/peanuts to make a delicious soup. 😊
I used to drink it hot a lot in winter, because in italy we use it as tea, but during summer I love to drink it cold with plenty of sugar. Tastes amazing
We call it Sorrel in Trinidad and its a traditional Christmas drink. We boil it with cinnamon and cloves and when cool sweeten it with sugar and you can enjoy as is or add rum or brandy for an extra kick.
@@klara9892 actually in Egypt we're not typically very sweet tooth, usually our breakfast is savory, but occasionally we be like how about a sweet sandwich? So jam it is! Or honey/molasses! So if you were to combine the savory breakfast theme with a sweet jam like the hibiscus, it's usually paired with a cheese sandwich topped with sliced cucumber/tomatoes, not the regular swiss and cheddar cheeses no, feta, istanbully or cottage cheeses are very very popular in Egypt and you can easily find it in every refrigerator in every authentic Egyptian household The other types of European cheeses are common as well but now they're very very VERY expensive due to inflation and drop in economy unfortunately Plus, I, myself, love pairing it with oatmeal! Or nowadays I'm into barley porridge, I grind the barely seeds very fine and cook it just like the oats, either add milk or not that's okay, sometimes I feel like I want to start my day with something rather sweet unlike usual, so I take some in another bowl and top it with jam or molasses Also, in Egypt the most popular baked good is Feteer meshaltet, I can't explain it very well but you can Google it, you either eat it plain OR the majority (literally 95% of the population 😂) eat it with molasses and cheese, dip each bite in them, separately of course 😂, so you can use jam instead of the molasses here as well And sometimes I love eating it with Fayesh, which is another baked good that resembles biscotti but it's not sweet, so I spread some of the jam on it and God! It's so delicious! And yes sometimes I topped it with cheese instead as well 😂♥️ So in a nutshell, you may eat it as you delight! It's usually a side sandwich or topped on a porridge like our authentic ruz-b-labn (rice with milk porridge) or however you like, you may also incorporate it into cakes and it's gonna taste awesome I'm sure! Or maybe eat it like a classic peanut butter and jam sandwich! In the end, I'm certain you're gonna like it because unlike fruits, the hibiscus isn't very sweet naturally and has some tangy taste that balances everything just perfectly And fun fact, in Siwa they also produce aubergine jam as well 🤣🤣🤣 I was taken back but when I tasted it it was good, they do magic in Siwa indeed 😂♥️ i loved it and loved their date jam as well Hope I answered you very well, and sorry I wrote too much, ignore my bad English please !
I've been making a version of this with Rose of Sharon flowers which are blooming and falling all over the backyard right now. They are not bright red, so after steeping the color is yellowish. Adding citric acid of some sort magically turns it a gorgeous shade of pink, and makes it more delicious. Add some sugar, freeze into ice cubes...brilliance There are so many medicinal benefits, but most importantly, it's just yummy! So refreshing
In Trinidad and Tobago we spice the boiling water with whole clove, cinnamon sticks, and Bay leaves, before adding the sorrel (Caribbean name for this particular hibiscus). Jamaica adds ginger too (they add ginger to EVERYTHING). But yeah, we drink this cold, and it's especially popular around Christmas.
In Nigeria we call it ZOBO and add a variety of spices and sweeteners and even fruit juices to it (not all in one pot though 😄) for various tastes and flavours. Funny, just a few days ago I was thinking how it's been a long while since I had this 😀 🌺🌺🌺 🇳🇬 🌺🌺🌺
Oh I'm gonna stop by one of the markets on Telegraph to see if they have whole dried hibiscus in bulk. Hibiscus syrup in sparkling water sounds brilliant!
Oh hell yeah I love hibiscus. There was this hibiscus iced tea I used to drink all the time, but I haven't seen it in ages. Guess it's time to make my own instead.
We've also used the hibiscus flowers as a kind of meat substitute and made tacos out of them! So yummy!!! I made the tea, then cooked the strained hibiscus like I would ground meat for the tacos.
Wow! This really makes my day. I’m sending this to my best hibiscus loving friend so we can kvetch about all the hibiscus things we want to make and share together. Thank you, Middle eats once again for this extraordinary video!
In the city where I live there's a small business run by an Egyptian and a Palestinian and they make something just like your cocktail recipe that they sell in cans. It's my go-to non-alcoholic drink
I use hibiscus in kombucha. I'll juice my fruit and throw some dehydrated hibiscus flowers into it. Let it extract for 24hrs in the fridge and then begin my f1 fermentation
Sorrel mentioned!!! You can also make a sorbet from sorrel or any fruit juice using just a freezer- put the juice in a wide, insulative bowl with some extra sugar and a pinch of salt. Then stir thoroughly with a fork at least every 5 minutes for an hour or so.
I’m delighted by this video as I only recently have discovered Hibiscus 🌺. Do you know if there is a way for using hibiscus powder in a cake recipe maybe? I am fascinated with the amount of antioxidants that this plant has!
no sugar needed! it is good plain and cold. Red Zinger tea sells well in the US then I realized other nations have done it for a long time, nice video.
I drink a large mug of it as tea most nights. I see when it with a spoonful of yuzu tea mix which is like a marmalade. It’s so fragrant and delish! Also good with the aloe Vera tea jam you can buy in jars.
I had coworkers from Costa Rica who would make a Jamaica (Hibiscus) Punch with ginger, pineapple, a stick of cinnamon, 1 to 2 cloves, and a bit of honey or pan de dulce (piloncillo) for sweetness. On a hot summer day it's better than the coldest Coca-Cola! 😋
You must try the jamaican favorite, sorrel! Steep the hibiscus in boiling water along with ginger, allspice berries, and limes. Once the flavor has been extracted mix with plenty of sugar, lime juice, blended ginger juice, and personally I add a bit of orange juice as well. It is the most delicious drink you will every taste!
I know this is a Middle Eastern food channel, but I enjoy the Nigerian hibiscus drink Zobo, which has ginger and pineapple and citrus steeped with the leaves. And then I found a few TH-cam channels showing how to make hibiscus tacos, which I loved, to my surprise!
That sounds amazing. I love pineapple. I'll have to give it a try. I was told there is a West African drink made from corn or some other grain that is really tasty. Do you know it's name?
@@MiddleEats I did not try it while I visited, but it was called Zunu. I got to try two tribal dishes, I’m not sure *which* tribe, or the names of the dishes. One was boiled corn and coconut, eaten like cereal with milk and sugar on top. The other was also from corn, it was kind of like lemon flavored yogurt. I wonder now if it might have been Zunu, but kept thick.
@@MiddleEats You need to create a disclaimer or retraction saying you were unaware that the countries you showed especially Nigeria don't drink Hibiscus hot all year. Nigeria has always had Zobo, a cold drink, that does contain as she said pineapple, ginger, fruit, but also mint, and other ingredients. Hibiscus is like a national flower of some sorts in Nigeria. Oh and a lot of the studies done on the benefits of hibiscus are done by Nigerians. Research before making blanket un-vetted claims is important.
Okay, my uni professor has got a garden full of hibiscus, I think it's my time to ask him some 😂😂❤ I hope he'll be generous, I've got only the bagged hibiscus 🤣🤣
Low cholesterol but high diabetes? My perfect drink 😂 Also, variations of this drink have been popular in the Caribbean countries due to African, particularly from west Africa, people taken there during the slave trade. But it is called sorrel. I had Jamaican and Trinidadian friends talk about sorrel tea, assuming it was something other than hibiscus.
I boil it 10 minutes then let it cool to room temp, then I add mint n ginger and stir in honey and leave it in the fridge overnight with the flowers still in. The next day strain it, add little lemon juice to desired taste and carbonate it. Try it, you will thank me.
I highly recommend pairing hibiscus with rose hips (specifically dried hips, not rose petals or water or anything like that). It tastes great AND gives a bunch of vitamin C while you're at it (and unlike rose water, you don't need to be careful with the amount you use) If you can get your hands on them, I promise it will help elevate anything from simple hibiscus tea to any of these recipes.
In my country, we spice it up by adding, ginger, cloves, pineapple peels, cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, mint leaves, lemon grass, in small amounts ofcourse. Strain and add sugar or natural sweetener. You boil it with ginger and cloves only, don't sweeten it, this is for those looking to control BP naturally.
Hibiscus is lovely cold, and unpleasantly astringent when hot. Mix that hibiscus syrup into seltzer water with lime juice, and you've got a Hibiscus Lime Rickey. I make lime rickeys with pomegranate molasses on the hottest summer days.
Never been a fan of Karkadeih, but you've opened my eyes to more things to do with it (the syrup idea is gold). Just got a Ninja Crimi so I'll sure to try the sorbet. Also, you seem to be losing some weight; if that's the case, we would love to hear about it when you're ready to share. It would be super educational and inspirational.
in one of my nearest exotic supermarket they sell it in 1L bottle. I was wondering why this was soooo sugary. now I know. thanks, I'll try some of these.
You can substitute the sugar with any sweetener, but just add it when it's cold as it will become bitter from the high temperature. I have been making this for my dad with sweetener all Ramadan as he got diabetes. He passed away recently, this just reminded me of him. May he be granted highest place in Jannah..
I'm so sorry about your dad. I lost my dad last November. Thank you for the tip about the sweetener. I will keep this in mind. ♥
I’m sorry for your loss, sounds like he had a great son though!
Sorry for your loss, may his memory live on in you. إِنَّا ِلِلَّٰهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ
Have you used Monk Fruit sweetener?
Aameen
Don't boil it, cover the hibiscus with ice cold water and place it in the fridge overnight. Cold brewing brings out more of the subtle floral aromas and tanginess without the bitterness
@@dicecard921 Not really. It's a common drink in the Caribbean (we call ot sorrel here) and it's always boiled (usually fresh 'flowers') to bring out the flavour, along with ginger, cinnamon, bayleaf, etc. And if you don't boil it long enough, the flavour is very subdued 🤷♀️ I'd imagine not boiling it at all would be a waste of the sorrel, but do what suits you I suppose.
@@dicecard921 will try it next time
@@dicecard921 this is how I make it
If you're trying to get rid of the slightly metallic flavor you might be identifying as bitterness, hibiscus can have to some people what I recommend is pairing it with rose hips (specifically hips, not the more floral petals or rose water).
I use agave to sweeten mine!
In the Caribbean, we'll add cinnamon and clove to our sorrel/hibiscus. And rum, of course. Its very popular at Christmas
To save on some confusion, pimento is allspice
This past Christmas I used it to make non-alcoholic “mulled wine”, with cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and a bit of lemon for zing. Was amazing! Lots of sugar of course too …
Why is it funny?
George, YES!
@georgehelliar thanks for sharing ❣️ I absolutely love sorrel and wondered what other spices were in it . I settled with ginger but considered letting a cinnamon stick soak
It's funny how people who live in Jamaica call it sorrel, and people who live in Mexico call it Jamaica!!
@@TrainerInTraining in Australia we call it roselle. People should not confuse it with ordinary hibiscus.
what is the difference between , at store it just says hibiscus for us
@@TrainerInTraining why is it funny?
@@memeishere1 google search hibiscus vs roselle
It is roselle or sorrel in the Caribbean. Another way its made in Trinidad is to boil it with, 1 west indian bay leaf, 2 inch piece of dried orange peel, 2 slices of ginger and a few star anise and clove. After boiling, cover and let cool, sweeten to taste then pour into a bottle with a few grains of washed white rice and let sit in the fridge for a week before drinking.
Asalaam alaiqum
In Jamaica (among other Caribbean places) the iced version of the tea is called sorrel and it is made with ginger and pimento.
In Santiago de Cuba one new year's we made a marmalade out of the flowers left over from making the sorrel drink.
🇨🇺🇯🇲🇬🇾🇹🇹🇪🇬🇵🇸🌺
To save on some confusion for others, pimento is allspice
In Egypt we also have cold version of this. Its called Karkadeh and the cold version is amazing with some sugar i think. Not huge fan of the hot version. Cold is amazing ❤
Not only thew iced version, the fruit is called sorrel, the shrub is called sorrel, and the drink is called sorrel (whether its cold or hot, though its always made cold.) We also add mixed (or other) essence after its cooled, but this is the first I've heard of it being boiled with allspice. We usually use bayleaf, ginger, clove, and cinnamon. Many people even add rum or wine. Grenadian here.
WRONG.
He's talking about the HIBISCUS Flower.
SORREL is completely different and harvested at the end of the year as a Christmas drink..
@@Abat-f6r Dearest, you are wrong. Sorrel is called hibiscus, or roselle, in other places outside of the Caribbean. Sorrel can be planted and harvested at any time of the year really, though there are traditional times for planting. Last year we harvested sorrel midyear because of when we'd planted it. It's commonly, traditionally, had at Christmas, but we drink it any time of the year.
Hello there from Chicago
I grew up in Mexico City and was raised drinking Jamaica which is what we call it in Mexico City.
I still drink Jamaica to this day during summer and winter.
💙🦋🌿
@@anafindlay1696 I’m in Arkansas and a couple of Mexican coworkers turned me on to Jamaica years ago. I love it!
@@j.c.culbreath-julian4230
That's awesome that you like Jamaica it has so many benefits .
🦋🌿❤️
In Trinidad & Tobago we call it sorrel and drink it in the lead up to Christmas until early January
The flowers taste great chopped candied as well after your done with them.
Do you have a fresh one let me see it please
There is nothing better than karkadiyeh on a blazing hot summer day. We also love it in Lebanon and in many versions I really like we add lemon zest because, why not...sahtain!
Yum, the lemon zest sounds amazing. Imagine dehydrated lemon zest and salt on the rim of the glass....
@@MiddleEats Sort of like a margarita for those who don't drink alcohol 😁
i make it in the sun, starting with fresh cold water and whole flowers and petals, and no sweetener. after several hours, put it in the fridge, with its flowers. just strain it into a glass to drink. so refreshing. 🌺
I don't know if it's "legal" but I add ginger juice to my cold hibiscus brew and I love it!
That's one of the great things about a basic recipe like this. You can customize it to your pleasure.
Thanks Obi! I like to add a knob of ginger, green cardamom pod, 1/2 a cinamon stick, a star anise and some barberries per liter batch. I use fruit like pineapple or blood orange to sweeten:)
Oh i loooove both cardamom and anise! i ut made a note of your recipe in my notes app and plan on trying it once I try the original recipes here!
In Jamaica we call this sorrel and sometimes flavor it with rum but usually without
This is the most effective advertisement for hibiscus ever 😂 I want to go buy some right now to try the drinks!
It is delicious. I grew it myself for years, 3 bushes made enough in the summer to last my wife and I all year.
@@luciddreamarium3510 It's really good
I highly recommend pairing hibiscus with rose hips (specifically dried hips, not rose petals or water or anything like that). It tastes great AND gives a bunch of vitamin C while you're at it (and unlike rose water, you don't need to be careful with the amount you use)
If you can get your hands on them, I promise it will help elevate anything from simple hibiscus tea to any of these recipes while still letting the hibiscus shine as the more forward flavor.
glad to see your sliming down gotta take care homes
Love, love Hisbiscus! First had it in Jamaica! Now use the whole leaves at home. Thank you for sharing❤
The syrup is lovely drizzled over vanilla ice-cream too.
If you live in the UK & want to make a homegrown version with foraged ingredients then try rosehip syrup. Similar flavour profile & packed with vitamin C. As well as a treat, I use it in winter for colds & sore throats.
In Jamaica it's called sorrel and flavoured with ginger and often mixed with rum.
@@TristanBehrens that sounds so good
@@WhoFramedMSG It's very much a Christmas drink for us. Leads to a lot of funny stories of toddlers drinking from the "grown ups sorrel jug" at Christmas parties
It's funny. Jamaica is named after the flower ( which comes from the Arawak language) , yet gave that flower a different name. Never understood that.
Hah that's funny!
@@stankmcdankton6204 Jamaica isn't named after a flower, it means "Land of Wood and Water" in Arawak.
In Mexico they call hibiscus "Jamaica" because that's where it was imported from.
We call that agua de Jamaica in Mexico, no idea why.
Delicious!
@@lorenam8028 because y'all got it from Jamaica lol 😂
I made hibiscus-cherry ice cream the other day (boiling down hibiscus tea with sugar into a syrup), it's pretty good.
Sounds fantastic, I like mixing berry flavours and I think cherry would compliment it so well. A little added mint and it would be amazing.
Oh god karkadieh!
I remember in one Ramadan during university, it was very hot and we had lectures and laboratories all day and we all were exhausted!! We were thirsty and tired, we just wanted to go home, sleep and wake up on Maghreb 😂
Ironically, a friend of mine was talking about wanting to go home so bad and wait for Maghreb just to drink iced karkadieh! And just by listening to her and how her mom prepares it, the next lecture I kept thinking about it and imagine myself drinking it and I didn't focus AT ALL in the lecture (our faculty dean was the professor 😂😂) but on the karkadieh 😂❤ luckily, it was the last lecture in the day! I went home with all the excitement and eagerness to make it! And I did! Instead of taking a nap no I was so tired and had panda eyes, I decided that I have to make it on this day, I couldn't stop thinking about it all day long even on my way back home in the bus 😂❤❤
It's gonna always have a truly soft spot in my heart because of this memory!
Aww what a memory, I remember sneaking off to my grandma's kitchen to take a glass before everyone else finished it
I was in Mexico last fall and had some hibiscus juice made by some local ladies. They didn't steep the freshly picked hibiscus rather they blended it and then strained out any bigger bits. It was some of the most refreshing juice I've ever had. Being 40 deg C with very high humidity likely helped my reaction to it but it was delicious.
We call this flower "roselle" in Malaysia, because hibiscus refers to our national flower. I enjoy it as a tea, and also a candy version where the flowers are cooked with tamarind and sometimes chilli, grounded into a paste, rolled into tiny balls, then coated in fine sugar. If I wasn't trying to control my sugar intake, I'd have eaten this candy by the bucketfuls lol
@middleEats
The dry hibiscus as you show it appears to be dried sorrel - not sure if its the same thing by a different name
Try a couple whole cloves in the pot when you simmer it. That's how we have it in the Caribbean.
It is yes. I think the variety grown in Egypt, Sudan and much of Africa is slightly different, but yeah it's the same plant
Jamaican sorrel, roselle, jamaica: all names for _Hibiscus sabdariffa_.
I drink this all day everyday. In Mexico we call it Jamaica. Personally I do not sweeten it, while it may be bitter but it's still delicious.
I love hibiscus tea, i usually crush some leaves to make the colour more concentrated and i let it soak for about 30 minutes, i'm gonna try boiling it for 10 minutes tomorrow. I drink it everyday and it's so delicious, i actually infuse it with a Blueberry herbal tea bag so it is even more delicious without any sugar added.
I've had this, but it was called Sorrel and was while I was in Jamaica.
I actually have some of this already, but I bought it from someone at a local market (specifically it's some Syrian refugees that sell it). It's great knowing that I can make it at home now too!
I've never liked hibiscus bagged tea, but I'm interested in giving these a try!
Same here. The tea is always so weak. I guess with 5-6 teabags it would taste better.
If you're in the US, look for a Mexican or latin store, I buy mine loose at a tienda here, it's the whole flower so you have to watch for stems
I love it
I am one of those who have been using whole hibiscus just to make tea as it has been one of my favorites since I was a kid. I'm absolutely going to try all of these!
Great ideas! ❤ In Northern Nigeria we call it Sobo/Zobo and use bicarb/potash when washing the flowers. They will turn bluish but return to vibrant red when rinsed. This automatically reduces acidity so you get the tang but you don’t need a sweetener. We flavour with spices and fruit peels for variety, and even use the leaves with pumpkin and/peanuts to make a delicious soup. 😊
I used to drink it hot a lot in winter, because in italy we use it as tea, but during summer I love to drink it cold with plenty of sugar. Tastes amazing
We call it Sorrel in Trinidad and its a traditional Christmas drink. We boil it with cinnamon and cloves and when cool sweeten it with sugar and you can enjoy as is or add rum or brandy for an extra kick.
The hibiscus jam is so popular in Siwa! I tried it once and it was heavenly delicious 🤤❤
@@tt7762 what is it served with? I’ve never had it so I’m very curious
@@klara9892 actually in Egypt we're not typically very sweet tooth, usually our breakfast is savory, but occasionally we be like how about a sweet sandwich? So jam it is! Or honey/molasses!
So if you were to combine the savory breakfast theme with a sweet jam like the hibiscus, it's usually paired with a cheese sandwich topped with sliced cucumber/tomatoes, not the regular swiss and cheddar cheeses no, feta, istanbully or cottage cheeses are very very popular in Egypt and you can easily find it in every refrigerator in every authentic Egyptian household
The other types of European cheeses are common as well but now they're very very VERY expensive due to inflation and drop in economy unfortunately
Plus, I, myself, love pairing it with oatmeal! Or nowadays I'm into barley porridge, I grind the barely seeds very fine and cook it just like the oats, either add milk or not that's okay, sometimes I feel like I want to start my day with something rather sweet unlike usual, so I take some in another bowl and top it with jam or molasses
Also, in Egypt the most popular baked good is Feteer meshaltet, I can't explain it very well but you can Google it, you either eat it plain OR the majority (literally 95% of the population 😂) eat it with molasses and cheese, dip each bite in them, separately of course 😂, so you can use jam instead of the molasses here as well
And sometimes I love eating it with Fayesh, which is another baked good that resembles biscotti but it's not sweet, so I spread some of the jam on it and God! It's so delicious! And yes sometimes I topped it with cheese instead as well 😂♥️
So in a nutshell, you may eat it as you delight! It's usually a side sandwich or topped on a porridge like our authentic ruz-b-labn (rice with milk porridge) or however you like, you may also incorporate it into cakes and it's gonna taste awesome I'm sure! Or maybe eat it like a classic peanut butter and jam sandwich! In the end, I'm certain you're gonna like it because unlike fruits, the hibiscus isn't very sweet naturally and has some tangy taste that balances everything just perfectly
And fun fact, in Siwa they also produce aubergine jam as well 🤣🤣🤣 I was taken back but when I tasted it it was good, they do magic in Siwa indeed 😂♥️ i loved it and loved their date jam as well
Hope I answered you very well, and sorry I wrote too much, ignore my bad English please !
I've been making a version of this with Rose of Sharon flowers which are blooming and falling all over the backyard right now. They are not bright red, so after steeping the color is yellowish. Adding citric acid of some sort magically turns it a gorgeous shade of pink, and makes it more delicious. Add some sugar, freeze into ice cubes...brilliance
There are so many medicinal benefits, but most importantly, it's just yummy! So refreshing
In Trinidad and Tobago we spice the boiling water with whole clove, cinnamon sticks, and Bay leaves, before adding the sorrel (Caribbean name for this particular hibiscus). Jamaica adds ginger too (they add ginger to EVERYTHING).
But yeah, we drink this cold, and it's especially popular around Christmas.
My favourite Mexican restaurant drink is Jamaica (Hu-my-cuh). Essentially the same thing!
Ha-my-ca, as is pronounced in Spanish
@@Skoomz with a ja because its jamaica isnt silent in the beginning
@@angelcabeza6464 but in English the j makes an h sound... and we're speaking English right now...
The calyces whole preserved in syrup look cool. I've been thinking they would be a neat garnish for a tart.
Dude, you are looking wonderful! Iced Hibiscus tea mixed with bubble water is my summer go to. Yum!
I have hibiscus & was wondering what to do it! Thank you Obe for giving me great ideas to try!
So many good ideas!
I need the sorbet now! Looks so delicious
We call this sorrel in my country. Its lovely
In Nigeria we call it ZOBO and add a variety of spices and sweeteners and even fruit juices to it (not all in one pot though 😄) for various tastes and flavours.
Funny, just a few days ago I was thinking how it's been a long while since I had this 😀
🌺🌺🌺 🇳🇬 🌺🌺🌺
I made it sans the sugar I used a wee bit of maple syrup instead.
Oh I'm gonna stop by one of the markets on Telegraph to see if they have whole dried hibiscus in bulk. Hibiscus syrup in sparkling water sounds brilliant!
I ended up spending all day drinking Karkadieh. Thank you!
Oh hell yeah I love hibiscus. There was this hibiscus iced tea I used to drink all the time, but I haven't seen it in ages.
Guess it's time to make my own instead.
We've also used the hibiscus flowers as a kind of meat substitute and made tacos out of them! So yummy!!! I made the tea, then cooked the strained hibiscus like I would ground meat for the tacos.
I LOVE hibiscus! Thank you for all the different ways to enjoy it! ❤❤
Saved to my workout playlist. A great vid from Middle Eats is always welcome!
Wow! This really makes my day. I’m sending this to my best hibiscus loving friend so we can kvetch about all the hibiscus things we want to make and share together. Thank you, Middle eats once again for this extraordinary video!
combining lemonade and syrup? Bro I'd like to live to 50 and beyond lol
but you deffo got me interested in hibiscus flavour, ngl!
Oh it's sparkling lemonade, not lemony sugar water. Just the tiniest bit sweet
In the city where I live there's a small business run by an Egyptian and a Palestinian and they make something just like your cocktail recipe that they sell in cans. It's my go-to non-alcoholic drink
Canned karkadieh sounds fantastic
@@MiddleEats It's quite good. If you're ever in Montreal keep your eye out on cans labelled "Zamalek" ;)
I use hibiscus in kombucha. I'll juice my fruit and throw some dehydrated hibiscus flowers into it. Let it extract for 24hrs in the fridge and then begin my f1 fermentation
Yum, sounds delicious. I need to try that
It's popular in Southern Colorado and Northern New Mexico.
Very good - thank you.
You missed Hibiscus as a meat alternative. If that's because you've not used it that way, I strongly suggest giving it a go.
Sorrel mentioned!!! You can also make a sorbet from sorrel or any fruit juice using just a freezer- put the juice in a wide, insulative bowl with some extra sugar and a pinch of salt. Then stir thoroughly with a fork at least every 5 minutes for an hour or so.
Nice tip! I've seen something similar too using a plastic bag, you shake it every 5-10 minutes until it turns into a granita. Haven't tested it though
I’m delighted by this video as I only recently have discovered Hibiscus 🌺. Do you know if there is a way for using hibiscus powder in a cake recipe maybe? I am fascinated with the amount of antioxidants that this plant has!
Looking good, Obi!
I’ve been enjoying collecting the hibiscus from my plants that I grew this summer. I cannot believe how fast it grew
no sugar needed! it is good plain and cold. Red Zinger tea sells well in the US then I realized other nations have done it for a long time, nice video.
Hibiscus dragon fruit is yummy and my absolute favorite drink in the summer. Edible too as dried leaves.
I drink a large mug of it as tea most nights. I see when it with a spoonful of yuzu tea mix which is like a marmalade. It’s so fragrant and delish! Also good with the aloe Vera tea jam you can buy in jars.
I had coworkers from Costa Rica who would make a Jamaica (Hibiscus) Punch with ginger, pineapple, a stick of cinnamon, 1 to 2 cloves, and a bit of honey or pan de dulce (piloncillo) for sweetness. On a hot summer day it's better than the coldest Coca-Cola! 😋
You are the best .... thank you for the best content, as always 👍
You must try the jamaican favorite, sorrel! Steep the hibiscus in boiling water along with ginger, allspice berries, and limes. Once the flavor has been extracted mix with plenty of sugar, lime juice, blended ginger juice, and personally I add a bit of orange juice as well. It is the most delicious drink you will every taste!
Lovely tea and lovely channel. Always watch videos when they come out. Free Palestine!
I just heat those flowers with mint and after cooling I add lemon and honey. My way of a drink.!
Thank you for that idea!
I know this is a Middle Eastern food channel, but I enjoy the Nigerian hibiscus drink Zobo, which has ginger and pineapple and citrus steeped with the leaves. And then I found a few TH-cam channels showing how to make hibiscus tacos, which I loved, to my surprise!
That sounds amazing. I love pineapple. I'll have to give it a try. I was told there is a West African drink made from corn or some other grain that is really tasty. Do you know it's name?
@@MiddleEats I did not try it while I visited, but it was called Zunu. I got to try two tribal dishes, I’m not sure *which* tribe, or the names of the dishes. One was boiled corn and coconut, eaten like cereal with milk and sugar on top. The other was also from corn, it was kind of like lemon flavored yogurt. I wonder now if it might have been Zunu, but kept thick.
@@MiddleEats You need to create a disclaimer or retraction saying you were unaware that the countries you showed especially Nigeria don't drink Hibiscus hot all year. Nigeria has always had Zobo, a cold drink, that does contain as she said pineapple, ginger, fruit, but also mint, and other ingredients. Hibiscus is like a national flower of some sorts in Nigeria. Oh and a lot of the studies done on the benefits of hibiscus are done by Nigerians. Research before making blanket un-vetted claims is important.
So, this is a bit of an odd one, but I like to freeze very strong hibiscus ice cubes to add to seltzer. Ideally hops flavored seltzer.
Great idea, I need to try that
Okay, my uni professor has got a garden full of hibiscus, I think it's my time to ask him some 😂😂❤ I hope he'll be generous, I've got only the bagged hibiscus 🤣🤣
Low cholesterol but high diabetes? My perfect drink 😂
Also, variations of this drink have been popular in the Caribbean countries due to African, particularly from west Africa, people taken there during the slave trade. But it is called sorrel. I had Jamaican and Trinidadian friends talk about sorrel tea, assuming it was something other than hibiscus.
We've got something exactly like this in Nigeria. We just call it zobo. It's so good.
I boil it 10 minutes then let it cool to room temp, then I add mint n ginger and stir in honey and leave it in the fridge overnight with the flowers still in. The next day strain it, add little lemon juice to desired taste and carbonate it. Try it, you will thank me.
I'd only ever had the drink Folere in my country, Bissap in West Africa. Never had it as tea, never thought of sherbet, syrup, jam...
Love this, drink, cold. Which hibiscus flower is this from, also works wonders on the tummy if you know what I mean, 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
I like it with ginger in it, or mixed with ginger ale. 😋
It's called wonjo here in the Gambia...the inner part of the flower (pod with seeds) contains pectin 😊
We call it "Bissap Juice" in West Africa ❤
I highly recommend pairing hibiscus with rose hips (specifically dried hips, not rose petals or water or anything like that). It tastes great AND gives a bunch of vitamin C while you're at it (and unlike rose water, you don't need to be careful with the amount you use)
If you can get your hands on them, I promise it will help elevate anything from simple hibiscus tea to any of these recipes.
In my country, we spice it up by adding, ginger, cloves, pineapple peels, cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, mint leaves, lemon grass, in small amounts ofcourse. Strain and add sugar or natural sweetener. You boil it with ginger and cloves only, don't sweeten it, this is for those looking to control BP naturally.
Hibiscus is lovely cold, and unpleasantly astringent when hot.
Mix that hibiscus syrup into seltzer water with lime juice, and you've got a Hibiscus Lime Rickey. I make lime rickeys with pomegranate molasses on the hottest summer days.
I'll have to give that a try!
Never been a fan of Karkadeih, but you've opened my eyes to more things to do with it (the syrup idea is gold). Just got a Ninja Crimi so I'll sure to try the sorbet.
Also, you seem to be losing some weight; if that's the case, we would love to hear about it when you're ready to share. It would be super educational and inspirational.
in one of my nearest exotic supermarket they sell it in 1L bottle. I was wondering why this was soooo sugary. now I know.
thanks, I'll try some of these.
In Louisiana I make it in a pressure cooker with sliced ginger root, lemon and lime slices let cool and refrigerate. I make it a gallon at a time
I love how you give us four recipes for the price of one!
Mmmmm 😋 Love Hibiscus!! 🌺
In Hawaii, I was introduced to Ginger and Hibiscus Syrup.
Sounds delicious! We do have a hibiscus bush/tree, but I don't think the flowers would make a nice tea. Anybody know what kind is used for tea?
Roselle(Hibiscus sabdariffa) the calyx which in its case is an accessory fruit is used rather then the petals.
0:55 im enjoying this tone....
😂
🌬
Very good for blood pressure
In Mexico, we call that flower: Jamaica
That syrup has me thinking of hibiscus shave ice.
Is there a substitute for the citric acid when making the syrup?
Mexicans make this, we call it Agua de Jamaica! It's so cool that many cultures share the same recipes.
Greetings from Redondo Beach 🇺🇸🇺🇸Nice video👍🏽
Nice i have a ninja creami. Will definitely try this recipe ❤
It's fantastic, I'm sure you'll love this
Agua de jamaica en Mexico
Very GOOD, man. VIDEO.