Hibiscus Tea

Soothingly delicious and flavorful, this hibiscus tea comes together with just 2 ingredients and can be enjoyed both hot or iced! It’ll quench your thirst and provide numerous health benefits for your body and soul.

What is hibiscus tea?

Hibiscus tea is a type of herbal tea made by steeping dried hibiscus flower petals in hot water. The petals used in this recipe come from the hibiscus sabdariffa or “roselle” flower. Native to Central and West Africa, it’s consumed around the world and its flowers are more widely used to make teas, jams, and syrups. You can find hibiscus everywhere, such as Mexico, which uses hibiscus to make an agua fresca called agua de Jamaica.

The hibiscus tea in this recipe comes together with just 2 ingredients: dried hibiscus flowers and water (with honey as an optional sweetener). The simplicity of the ingredients makes the unique flavor of hibiscus stand out, with its fruity tartness not unlike cranberry juice. Read on to find more about its benefits!

Hibiscus tea benefits

For centuries, hibiscus has been used in food and traditional herbal medicine. According to this Cleveland Clinic article, it’s thought to have numerous health benefits, such as:

1. It’s rich with antioxidants such as vitamin C and beta-carotene, which help fight harmful free radicals in your body.
2. It’s been shown to lower blood pressure and fight inflammation.
3. It helps keep the liver healthy and free from toxins, likely because of its powerful antioxidant activity.
4. Some clinical studies have shown that hibiscus can help lower cholesterol.

Key ingredients

You probably already have a lot of these ingredients in your pantry! For the dried hibiscus flowers, which are sometimes labeled as “Flor de Jamaica”, you can easily find them online or in the tea section of your grocery store. The other ingredients include:

• Filtered water
• Sweetener (optional): Although I prefer my hibiscus unsweetened, it can be very tart and slightly earthy on its own. If you want a more mellow flavor, I recommend honey, but any sweetener of your choice (like cane sugar or agave) would work as well!
• Lemon: A squeeze of lemon to iced hibiscus tea adds a fresh brightness to the flavor, as well as a garnish for a nice pop of color!
• Fresh mint leaves: A garnish of fresh mint gives the drink a beautiful finish and makes it extra refreshing.

Different variations of hibiscus tea

• Make it hot. Boil 1 cup of filtered water and pour over 1 Tablespoon of dried hibiscus flowers. Let steep for 5 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into your mug and enjoy with honey or your preferred sweetener.

• Make it iced. Add 1/4 cup of hibiscus flowers to a small jar or pitcher. Add 4 cups of filtered water, stir to combine, and chill until bright red for at least 20 minutes or overnight for a more intense color and flavor. Then pour through a fine mesh strainer into glasses filled with ice and sweetener if desired. Garnish with fresh mint and lemons.

Now sit back, relax, and enjoy your delicious and refreshing cup of hibiscus tea!

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