How to Eat and Drink Hibiscus, a Gorgeous Red Flower With So Many Uses

The hibiscus flower is enjoying increasing popularity as an ingredient in teas, libations, sorbets, vinaigrettes, and more. However, the hibiscus flower has been around for centuries and continues to be used as a colorful, tart, and tangy component in cuisines around the world. Its flavor is often described as a cross between cranberries and pomegranates. You’ll find a common form of the dried hibiscus flower in health and specialty food stores, often labeled "flor de Jamaica,” which is the edible plant steeped for popular teas. We connected with the founders of a specialty tea company to find out more about what's brewing with this buzzy ingredient and how to use it in more than just teas.

What Is Hibiscus?

Grown as an annual and a perennial in temperate and tropical climates, hibiscus resembles a tentacled sea creature. This genus of woody shrubs and small trees is enrobed with trumpet-shaped flowers in vivid shades of pink, purple, blue, and red, each boasting a prominent filament. It's part of the mallow family (Malvaceae), which includes okra, hollyhock, marshmallow, rose of Sharon, and cotton.

Varieties Abound

There are several varieties of hibiscus flowers, for example, the Hawaiian hibiscus you see in tropical climates, but they are not all intended for consumption, says Smita Satiani co-founder of Alaya Tea, which sources its hibiscus from a regenerative organic-certified supplier in Uttar Pradesh, India. "The edible variety used for cooking is called Hibiscus sabdariffa, also known as hibiscus roselle or Jamaican sorrel," she says, noting that it's extremely popular in South Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean.

Why Is Hibiscus So Prized?

This shrub species is likely native to West Africa, where it's been a key ingredient in drinks like Senegalese bissap for centuries. "Hibiscus has been used in cultures for eons," says Esha Chhabra, Alaya Tea's other co-founder. Hibiscus is venerated for several reasons:

• Superfood status: Edible hibiscus is rich in antioxidants, including beta-carotene, vitamin C, and anthocyanin (a natural pigment).
• Unique taste: Uniquely and simultaneously floral and sour, hibiscus is beloved for its tangy flavor and is integral to tropical cuisine.
• Shades of red: When hibiscus is steeped, the liquid turns a rich cranberry hue. "The color is so vibrant that it's really eye-catching and beautiful," says Chhabra. "They say we eat with our eyes, right?"
• Medicinal benefits: Hibiscus has antibacterial and astringent properties and is used as a diuretic as well as to combat inflammation, colds, and sore throats. "Its cooling properties are also used in Ayurveda to balance out body types that are high in pitta (heat)," says Chhabra, referring to the medicinal system that strives to maintain equilibrium in the body through diet and herbal remedies.

What Parts of the Hibiscus Flower Do We Use?

Though marketed in teas and other comestibles as hibiscus flowers, that description is sort of a misnomer: The part of Hibiscus sabdariffa that we eat and drink is not the actual flower. "When you read the words 'hibiscus flowers,' you might think they are the petals of the hibiscus flower, but actually it is the leafy, outer calyx fruit that is plucked in its peak, separated from the seed inside, and dried to use for cooking," Satiani says.

How to Use Hibiscus in Different Forms

Hibiscus can be purchased in a few different forms: 

• Dried: Abundantly available, dried hibiscus is universally used to make tea (iced hibiscus is particularly refreshing). "I've also eaten the calyxes whole, in dried form, like a dried fruit. It was a delicious, chewy, tangy, tart (not to mention healthy) snack," says Satiani.
• Powder: Finely milled hibiscus powder can be added to rubs, infusions, and sweets.
• Fresh: Juicy and plump, fresh hibiscus isn't as easy to come across. Find it at farmer's markets in southern states or large urban markets with a Caribbean following. Labay Market in Brooklyn's Little Caribbean neighborhood, for example, imports fresh roselle from the owner's family farm in Grenada. "If you buy it fresh, use it immediately, or freeze or dry it," says Satiani.
• Leaves and shoots: In addition to the calyxes, the leaves and tender shoots of the roselle are also edible, says Satiani. If you find them at a market, use them in salads or cooked as greens, and with other vegetables and meat.

Other Ways to Eat and Drink Hibiscus

Hibiscus tea, like this Hibiscus Honey Iced Tea recipe, is the best-known way to use the calyxes and can be made with both fresh and dried flowers. Hibiscus can be steeped in cold water to make the zingy Mexican drink, aqua fresca, added to the pan juices of roast duck or pork, or to a pot of rice to turn it pink. Try these other hibiscus flower applications:

• Syrup: Infuse it into a simple syrup, such as this Hibiscus-Ginger Syrup, and add to create a rosy tint to non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, such as this Hibiscus-Ginger Spritz with rum.
• Cool treats: "I love it transformed into a sorbet (hibiscus and raspberry, or hibiscus and strawberry) or a granita," says Chhabra. Stir it into ice cream for a pretty punch of color and flavor.
• Baked goods: Crush a bit of dried hibiscus and add it to everything from cookies to cakes.
• Salad dressing: Add it to vinaigrettes to perk up summer salads.
• Cereal: A rosy sprinkle over granola or oatmeal brightens up breakfast.
• Jams and marmalades: "Jams are another popular way to use hibiscus. Paired with orange or rose, it's a winner," says Chhabra.