In the Caribbean the fresh calices are boiled
briefly, usually with cloves and cinnamon, the liquor strained off and sweetened
and then drunk cold, when it is called 'sorrel'. Some people also ferment it for
an additional tang.
Its a very traditional drink at Christmas, since
the plant is photoperiodic in these latitudes (12 degrees north, here in
Trinidad) I saw the first calices on sale this past weekend.
John Cropper
>Hi, rose of sharon aren't roses but are
actually related to hibiscus (and
>thus also okra and cotton, no?) Hibiscus is the source of "te de >jamaica," which IS loaded with vit c. I don't know if the tea is usually >produced from the petals or the fruits. >MB Hisbiscus tea is made from the calyx of the Rosella plant, Hibiscus sabdariffa, an annual shrub native to West Africa - the young leaves are great in salad & taste a bit like sorrel, they give a lovely tang to pesto as well. By the way the calyx is the fleshy leafy petals that form around the seed pod after flowering - they also make one of the best jams. Robyn |